Shaman (Photograph: Okras, CC BY-SA 4.0, by way of Wikimedia Commons)
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (CelebrityAccess) – Spotify has eliminated the pages and songs of a number of Russian artists who’ve publicly supported Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This choice comes amid rising tensions and ongoing worldwide condemnation of the battle.
As reported by the Telegram channel Rodnoy Zvuk, Shaman (Yaroslav Dronov), Chicherina, Polina Gagarina, Grigory Leps, Oleg Gazmanov, and the group Lyube are among the many artists affected.
This motion aligns with the European Union’s sanctions. The EU not too long ago sanctioned Gagarina and Shaman, becoming a member of others like Leps, who has been below restrictions since December 2022. Chicherina, Gazmanov, and Lyube chief Nikolai Rastorguev had been sanctioned in October 2022.
Spotify’s stance in opposition to these artists isn’t new. In line with Currentime.television, In October 2023, hackers breached the accounts of a number of Russian musicians, together with Leps and Gazmanov. These breaches resulted in avatar modifications and anti-war messages posted on their profiles, together with a picture by Lviv artist Clonnex with the message, “Cease the struggle in Ukraine.”
Earlier incidents additionally noticed the hacking of artists like Slava Marlow, Soda Luv, Yaniks, Jesus, and Lida, quickly eradicating all Shaman’s songs from the platform.
Spotify, the world’s main streaming service with over 600 million subscribers as of April 2024, formally entered the Russian market in July 2020. Nonetheless, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the corporate ceased operations in Russia in April 2022 and subsequently liquidated its authorized entity there.
Eradicating these artists underscores Spotify’s agency stance in opposition to the invasion and aligns with broader worldwide sanctions and stress aimed toward these supporting the battle.