Cedric Bixler-Zavala Slams Spotify, Says It “Contributes Financially To Death Of Children”

Cedric Bixler-Zavala, frontman of The Mars Volta and former member of At The Drive-In, has issued a sharp criticism of Spotify following the platform’s involvement in a recent music industry mental health initiative.

The controversy stems from a partnership between mental health support organization Backline and Spotify, which recently co-hosted a mental health and songwriter summit in Nashville.

Bixler-Zavala took issue with the collaboration, voicing his frustration in a post shared via Instagram Stories that later circulated online. In the message, he questioned the platform’s credibility in supporting mental health initiatives while raising concerns about its broader corporate investments.

“With Spotify? How are we supposed to take you fucking serious? Ain’t nobody at Spotify give a fuck about mental health. Fuck outta here with this shitty propaganda.”

He went on to escalate his criticism, linking the platform’s business interests to broader geopolitical concerns.

“Spotify contributes financially to death of children via military war applications they invest in.”

The comments reference ongoing controversy surrounding Spotify co-founder and executive chairman Daniel Ek’s involvement in venture capital funding connected to Helsing, a defense technology company developing AI-based military applications.

The issue has previously sparked backlash within the music community, with some artists in 2025 choosing to remove their catalogs from the platform in protest of its perceived ties to military technology investments.

As of now, Spotify has not publicly responded to Bixler-Zavala’s comments.

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[Via ThePRP]