Controversy has erupted after New Zealand songstress Lorde unleashed her fiery disapproval towards Spotify's latest AI-generated feature, 'About the Song', which is being touted as the perfect accompaniment to your favourite tunes. But Lorde isn't buying into this tech-driven dream, calling out the streaming giant for peddling inaccurate information and stifling artistic interpretation with its automated explanations.
The specific feature in question takes a deep dive into the personal meanings behind tracks, generating a brief paragraph that sets the scene for an artist's performance. But when Lorde shared a screenshot of the description for her song 'Current Affairs', it quickly became apparent why she's not a fan – the AI had got it badly wrong, likening her live rendition to some kind of avant-garde spectacle complete with stripper-esque antics and water-squirting dancers.
Lorde wasn't having any of it, responding on social media with a blunt "we don't want this" in response to Spotify's 'About the Song' feature. She went on to elaborate on her concerns, pointing out that not only was the description inaccurate (it wasn't even from the correct song!), but reducing an artist's work to an AI-generated summary felt like a restriction on creative freedom – and she's calling for artists to be given the option to opt-out of this automated interpretation.
This isn't the first time Lorde has publicly expressed her reservations about AI technology, having previously lambasted Meta's AR glasses during her performance at Mad Cool in Madrid. She warned fans not to get caught up in the hype, advising them that "fuck those glasses" and encouraging them to stick with reality rather than getting lost in a world where it can be difficult to tell what's real and what's just an AI-generated simulation.
Spotify is standing by its feature, insisting that fans want to dig into the stories behind the music. They acknowledged that 'About the Song' is still in beta testing, with information sourced from online articles – but they're keen to stress that swift action is taken when inaccuracies are brought to their attention (like Lorde's track).
Meanwhile, Lorde has been keeping busy on other fronts, marking a milestone anniversary of her critically-acclaimed album 'Virgin' by releasing demos and a newsletter detailing its creation. The album was praised for its candidness and emotional depth – and fans can look forward to seeing her take the stage again as she's confirmed as a headliner for All Points East 2026 in London, joining the likes of PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson.