Numerous popular songs slip through Spotify's content filter, allowing explicit lyrics to reach listeners

Young fans of popular music stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Eminem have been exposed to explicit lyrics on Spotify, even when they have blocked explicit content. This issue arises because the streaming service often displays a song's original lyrics, which can include racial slurs and swear words, on the screen when users play the clean "radio friendly" version. The problem has been found to occur with many hit songs by artists such as Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Drake, and Lil Nas X. Spotify has not commented on the matter, but it is understood that the company is aware of the problem and is working to fix it. In 2018, Spotify introduced a system to handle explicit content after facing pressure from parents. Explicit songs are marked with an 'E', and users have the option to block explicit content in their settings, with clean versions usually offered as an alternative. However, the lyrics in Spotify's database for many of these edited versions are the same as the originals, so anyone looking at the lyrics will still see the explicit words. Currently, over a third of the songs in Spotify's UK top 50 chart contain explicit lyrics, with half of them displaying the explicit lyrics on screen even when the clean version is played. The BBC has discovered 100 more high-profile affected tracks, including some that feature in children's film soundtracks or child-friendly playlists. After being alerted to the issue by the BBC, Spotify has removed lyrics for a small number of songs. Additionally, the BBC found that on desktops or laptops, people can still read the lyrics of explicit versions of songs, even if the tracks are blocked, simply by clicking on the track names from a search or artist profile page. Spotify is currently the world's most popular music streaming service, with over 500 million users. James Roach, a music producer and father, expresses concern about this issue. He mentions that as a parent, it becomes a problem when his son, who is seven years old, starts comprehending and paying attention to lyrics, as he wants to imitate the artists and sing along. However, it is not always clear what is being said in the songs, making it necessary to go online or use platforms like Spotify to see the actual words. Roach suggests that some people may be lazy and use the same lyrics for both explicit and clean versions, even though producers have the option to submit different lyrics. Spotify and other music streaming services source their lyrics from Musixmatch, a company that allows fans to add, correct, or translate lyrics in exchange for "kudos". However, Musixmatch has not responded to requests for comment. Unlike films and some TV streaming services, music does not have an age rating system to indicate potentially inappropriate content.