India.Arie is making it clear she did not urge fans to boycott Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat,” even as she continues to question why the song has been so widely embraced.
The singer responded after her comments about the track went viral. In Instagram Story posts and a Substack video, Arie said the boycott claim missed the point.
“I also said that the way we are embracing the songs says a lot about where we are as a culture[,] which … IS JUST FACTS,” she wrote.
The Grammy winner’s concern, she explained, is about influence. In her Substack video, Arie spoke about lyrics, melody and the effect music can have on young listeners.
“The melodic use of words is a frequency… it has power,” she continued. “Whatever you do with it, is your choice.”
The response followed since-deleted Threads posts in which Arie reacted to a fan calling for a boycott of “Spend Dat.” At the time, Arie wrote, “Everything you listen to see or eat is going to influence you. So make wise choices y’all.”
Arie also wrote that the mass acceptance of the song was “a [CRYSTAL] CLEAR sign of the bigger problem,” and added, “I finally realized that not EVERYBODY wants to get free.”
She did initially urge people not to stream it.