Spotify Discriminates

Published by Dylan Harper on January 04, 2020

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Yes, you read correctly.

It’s the year 2020 and even a popular music platform is discriminating and committing prejudice against Christians.

Should we be surprised? Not really.

But the real problem is though that no one is even talking about it.

So, I will.

Don’t believe me? Well, take a gander for yourself.

Click HERE or open up your app and search ‘christian’.

You might find something that looks a little like this:

Searching other terms like worship, praise, or religious, all provide similar results. And although playlists exist in these genres, it wasn’t too long ago where ‘christian’ was its very own stand-alone genre alongside a long list of others. And for the sake of defining genres, take a peek at what Spotify considers genres:

Just consider for a second the genres you’ve just read. Some are obvious and expected, like Pop, Country, Punk, Hip Hop, Metal, but then others are kind of random, like Desi, Chill, Tastemakers, Latin, Arab, Afro! I mean, no offense, but what in the world kind of genre is ‘Afro’ anyways???

Even Ellen had her own genre on Spotify in December of 2019.

What a crazy world we are living in!

I discovered this injustice when Spotify released their ‘Wrapped 2019’ statistics.

Here’s what I received:

Notice something a little off here? All five of my ‘Top Artists’ are Christian, and labeled as so, with the exception of NF, maybe. But then the bar graph suggests otherwise. If all five of my top artists are Christian, then why in the world is the secular ‘pop-rap’ genre the highest of them all? It didn’t sit well with me, and still doesn’t.

These are just statistics pumped out through some algorithmic computer program though. No harm done. I will play the grace card and let this one slide. 

But the more serious problem arose in early December when I went to pull up all the Christian playlists by searching the ‘Christian’ genre like I’ve always done, clicking on that recognizable dove that you see right here:

 

Lo and behold, I couldn’t find the dove. Did they change the image maybe? Nope. There was no longer a dove. There was no longer a Christian genre period.

The closest thing to a Christian genre was ‘Gospel’ which pulls up a measly four playlists:

I wasn’t too thrilled by this discovery. I became rather annoyed and angry.

So, I let them know.

And here’s the response my wife received when simply asking why they removed the ‘Christian’ icon and genre:

Is Spotify discriminating?

Is this some type of ‘attack’ against Christians?

Is there an injustice taking place?

You be the judge.

The apostle Paul tells us,

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 3:12-13

Obviously, what Spotify has done is far from persecution, but what their actions suggest is that they discriminate against Christianity. Part of living a Godly life for me and my family is by listening to God-honoring music as much as possible, helping create an atmosphere of praise everywhere we go.

But now, Spotify refuses to even acknowledge it as a genre in their long list of ridiculous genres. And don’t even get me started on how big the Christian Music Industry is and how much money people like Spotify are making off the backs of hard-working Christ followers spreading the Gospel message through their musical talents.

How dare they!?

So, maybe this is a little more appropriate then:

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 15:18-19

I can’t tell you what to think.

I can share my opinions and my experiences, which is exactly what I’ve done here.

You must take that, compare it to what you know and what God’s Word says, and come to your own decisions.

For me and my family, we’ve decided that this is just how things are meant to be right now.

The year is 2020 and Christianity is offensive and exclusive.

When a company as big as Spotify can pull a stunt like this and nobody, not one single person, is even talking about it, it’s possible the end days are truly here.

But take heed faithful people because God promises us,

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

Luke 6:22

So, consider yourself blessed to be a true follower of Jesus.

If the actions of Spotify offend you as a believer, even if they just annoy or irritate you, whatever you feel, consider it a blessing to know that you’re not of the world, but rather you’re set apart because of the name you profess over all other names.

Jesus is king!

Not Spotify.

May we lean into this reality of the world we exist in today; a world where one day we really will be persecuted simply because we choose to profess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

But for now, contemplate this first-world problem. And don’t be afraid if you’re irritated or offended by it, for Jesus’ sake. Surely He is worthy of a Spotify genre.

Until the last day comes though, whether Spotify creates the Christian genre again or removes Christian music completely from their platform, regardless, be encouraged and be blessed knowing who it is you’re living for.

Spotify may discriminate, but Jesus is still Lord.

So, praise God for when His truths become our reality.

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Published by Dylan Harper on January 04, 2020