spotify's new 'authenticity score' is emotionally bankrupting artists, and i am so tired

it's honestly so exhausting to even exist right now, and the timeline just delivered another reason for my entire parasympathetic nervous system to just, like, fully log off. spotify ceo daniel ek, in what feels like a personal attack, just announced 'aurasense™,' a new feature that algorithmically scores the 'emotional authenticity' of every song. i am not okay.

tw: emotional labor, algorithmic validation

so basically, artists now have to wear these proprietary biometric harnesses while recording. the app's ai analyzes their heart rate variability, cortisol spikes, and vocal tremors to generate an 'authenticity score.' songs with higher scores get prioritized on playlists like 'sad girl starter pack' and 'crying in my car.' it's literally monetizing trauma responses. the entire system is so toxic.

sources inside universal music group say studios are now just induce-a-vibe rooms, where artists are encouraged to doomscroll bad news or re-read texts from their ex to spike their biometrics for a more 'authentic' vocal take. this is not a safe space. this is workplace horror. the demand to perform authenticity for a tech platform is an act of violence, and i will not be gaslit into thinking it's innovation.

the whole toxic system imploded last week, though. apparently taylor swift's cat, olivia benson, was napping on a mixing console during a recording session and her purrs were accidentally recorded. the file, titled 'purr_final_master_v3,' was uploaded by an intern as a joke. aurasense™ analyzed the deep, resonant vibrations and gave it a 99.8% authenticity score. it's been number one on the global charts for six days.

now, artists like olivia rodrigo and boygenius are losing playlist spots to a literal cat. an actual, literal cat who is, to be fair, living her most authentic life by sleeping. producers are trying to replicate the frequency of olivia's purr. a new genre called 'feline-core' is trending. it's the logical endpoint of a culture that demands our feelings as content. we are all just so, so tired.

i'm literally having to disassociate just to get through this. if you're also feeling drained by the creator economy's unending demands on your soul, i curated some things to help you reclaim your peace. my favorite weighted blanket for processing algorithmic trauma is essential, you can find it on my amazon storefront. sending everyone vibes for radical softness in the face of crushing authenticity metrics.