Soon Spotify Will Make it Easier to Block an Artist and Their Music

The move comes just in time to help you #MuteRKelly.

A phone with a Spotify music application
Getty

Image via Getty/Jaap Arriens

A phone with a Spotify music application

Spotify will soon allow customers to mute of block any artist that they do not want to support on the streaming service.

According to reports, the streaming platform's upcoming update will include the option to block an artist and their discography. via a "Don't play this artist" button. This feature will remove blocked artists' music from your personal library and prevent you from hearing them on public playlists, charts, or radio. However, it will not block tracks that feature the artist. Users can unblock an artist if they have a change of heart.

The "Don't play this artist" button seems to be a concession to Spotify's polarizing attempt to remove all "controversial" artists from its featured playlist. Spotify specifically targeted controversial artists like R. Kelly and XXXTentacion. This was met with backlash from the music community with artists who were not on the list, like Kendrick Lamar, speaking out against the censorship. But, by giving the power to the consumer, Spotify has created an innovative way for its users to curate their personal listening experiences in order to create a musical environment that they deem to be healthy. 

The move can't come soon enough, as the #MuteRKelly movement has gained steam online in the wake of Lifetime's damning docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly

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