From Ariana Grande to Dua Lipa, Katy Perry to Justin Timberlake, even the most mainstream and conventional artists in pop aren’t averse to releasing the odd track which contains swearing or explicit lyrics. Although that’s not especially Earth-shattering in itself, of course, it could prove an upsetting experience for a young person who stumbles across such songs on Spotify.
That’s before we even take into account the multitude of other age-inappropriate lyrics in genres like hip hop (a profanity every 47 words, according to one recent study) or towards the harder end of the rock spectrum. As our NOS #WakeUpWednesday guide discovers, the occasional unexpected expletive isn’t the only aspect of the music streaming colossus Spotify that trusted adults should be aware of.
More recently, Spotify has seen increasing success with its vast collection of podcasts – spanning topics such as comedy, sport, politics, lifestyle and health. Given that over half (55%) of Spotify’s audience occupies the 18–35 age bracket, however, some of these shows – and the frank manner in which certain issues are discussed – are very definitely not for younger ears. Part of Spotify’s appeal is that its fluid user interface allows people to discover musical artists or podcasts that they wouldn’t necessarily have gone looking for. That creates the corresponding risk, however, that children can easily happen across more adult content by chance. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide can help you avoid this potential pitfall – and others.
