Neil Young’s gift to Greenland: Free access to his entire music catalog
By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Neil Young is giving the people of Greenland the gift of song — his songs, that is.
The veteran rocker announced Tuesday on his blog that he is providing free access to his entire music catalog to residents of Denmark’s semiautonomous territory, whose futures have lately become a point of tension between the U.S. and NATO.
“I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” Young wrote. “It is my sincere wish for you to be able to enjoy all of my music in your beautiful Greenland home, in its highest quality.”
The offer is for a year — though Young said renewing is possible — and applicants need to have a Greenland-based cellphone. “This is an offer of Peace and Love,” he wrote.
Young’s manager confirmed to The Associated Press the rocker’s message was genuine.
The offer is in stark contrast to Young’s recent decision to deny listeners his catalog on the streaming Amazon Music platform, a swipe at its founder, Jeff Bezos, who has supported U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire backer of the president,” Young wrote last week. “The president’s international policies and his support of ICE make it impossible for me to ignore his actions. If you feel as I do, I strongly recommend that you do not use Amazon.”
A representative for Amazon Music didn’t immediately respond for comment.
Young has long sparred with streaming platforms, like when he pulled his music from Spotify in protest of podcaster Joe Rogan’s episodes on COVID-19 vaccines. Young later relented and his music was added back.
Young, whose hits include “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Heart of Gold,” has never been a huge fan of Spotify. At his insistence, much of his music was removed from the platform for several months beginning in 2015 because of his concerns about audio quality. But his music is there, as it is on Apple Music.
