Rock star gives Greenland free access to his music: 'I hope it will mitigate the threats of our unpopular government'
The town of Aasiaat in Greenland, Photo: Freepik
Neil Young has decided to give the people of Greenland free access to his entire music catalog for a year, describing the initiative as “an offering of peace and love”. The gesture comes as a form of moral support against the pressure exerted by the Trump administration on the autonomous territory, according to the BBC.
“I hope my music and music videos will alleviate some of the stress and unwarranted threats you are under from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” the musician wrote on his website, Neil Young Archives, which offers full access to the 80-year-old composer's catalog of recordings and live concerts, as well as other output.
“I sincerely wish you could enjoy all my music in your beautiful home in Greenland, in the highest quality. This is an offering of peace and love. All the music I have composed over the past 62 years belongs to you. We hope other organizations will follow our example. Love the Earth!” , he added.
This gesture of solidarity towards Greenland is not an isolated incident, but represents the latest chapter in a long line of vehement protests by which Neil Young shows his disdain for the political direction of the United States. Earlier this month, Young wrote on his website:
“Wake up, people! Today, the USA is a disaster. Donald Trump is destroying America piece by piece, along with his team of wannabes… He has divided us.”
His war with Donald Trump started back in 2020, when he sued him to ban him from using his music at rallies. Also then, he called on fans to boycott Amazon, criticizing boss Jeff Bezos' support for the Trump campaign.
Even streaming platforms have not escaped his displeasure. In 2022, Young pulled his hits such as Harvest Moon from Spotify, accusing the platform of allowing the spread of false information about vaccines via Joe Rogan's podcast. His gesture was followed by other stars, like Joni Mitchell.
The artist did not return to Spotify until 2024. He explained that he had not changed his views, but the boycott no longer made sense because Rogan's podcast had become available everywhere, not just on one platform.
Although Canadian by birth, Neil Young also has American citizenship, which gives him the right to be a critical and active voice in US politics.
