Neil Young offers free music to Greenland amid Trump 'stress'
What's the story
Canadian-American rock star Neil Young has announced a year of free access to his digital archive for the people of Greenland. The offer comes as a response to the "unwarranted stress and threats" they are facing from the Donald Trump administration. In an official statement on his website, Young expressed hope that this gesture would inspire other organizations to follow suit.
Details
Young's digital archive access and verification process
Young's digital archive, which usually costs around $25 for a year, depending on the subscription package, will be free for Greenlanders. However, to avail of this offer, users must have a mobile phone number registered in Greenland for verification purposes. In his statement, Young referred to the Trump administration as "our unpopular and hopefully temporary government."
Activism
Young's history of political activism and criticism of Trump
Young has a long history of political activism and has been an outspoken critic of US President Trump. Earlier this month, he wrote on his website: "Wake up people! Today the USA is a disaster. Donald Trump is destroying America bit by bit with his staff of wannabes... He has divided us." In 2020, Young even took legal action to prevent Trump from using his music at campaign rallies.
Other protests
Young's stance against Amazon and Spotify
Young has also been vocal about his opposition to Amazon due to owner Jeff Bezos's donations to the Trump campaign. In 2024, he ended a two-year boycott of Spotify over Joe Rogan's podcast streaming on the platform. In 2022, he asked Spotify to remove songs like Harvest Moon and Heart of Gold, claiming that Rogan was spreading vaccine misinformation. Other artists like Joni Mitchell and India Arie also removed their songs in solidarity with Young.