A Trouble With: Apple Music

The other day, I attempted to write Apple an email in order to express my — let’s say — disappointment with one of their Apple Music playlists. The email went like this:

Dear Apple,

I first drafted an email to you in November of 2019 in complaint of Apple Music's curated "#GYMFLOW" playlist, but I lost my focus and never followed through, the email languishing in my drafts. However, when I was working out yesterday, I gave the "#GYMFLOW" playlist a try again, and I was just as disturbed by the song choice as I was six years ago.

Apple Music files this playlist under Apple Music Fitness and describes it as a selection of "new hip-hop … designed to keep you in beast mode, from warm-up to cooldown." As a fitness professional, regular weightlifter, cross-trainer, cardio burner and gym rat, I expected this playlist to be an energizing, positive compilation that would make me feel powerful and motivated.

Alas, aside from being a gym-goer, I am also what is usually called a “woman.” Which means that I was assaulted in every song by lyrics calling me a bitch who needed to get off or on someone’s dick — from the very first song, featuring the lines, “Fuckin’ this bitch like a perv’ / Smack from the back, grab her perm” (Gunna, “fukumean”).  

Or how about the third song — “And I’m so fresh, I know she wanna fuck me, bae, come on” (YoungBoy Never Broke Again, “Shot Callin”). Or maybe try the fifth song — “We slime, we sharin' sluts” (Future, “LIL DEMON”) — or the eighth song, with gems such as “I just fucked my bitch on Sunday” and “Fucking this bitch so good she humming” (Offset, Key Glock, “Run It Up”). 

And Apple Music is saying this music will put its listeners in “beast mode”? That’s revolting. And a little too rape-y. 

I take no issue with this music existing or being played or being popular. I grew up on hip-hop and still rap along enthusiastically with “Big Pimpin'” whenever it comes on. I appreciate the complexities and idiosyncrasies of cultural narrative and coded verbiage. 

But I do have a problem with Apple Music deciding this theme is appropriate for a corporately-endorsed gym playlist, particularly when truly every song is celebrating this sort of misogyny. Apple Music is communicating that gym culture is “let’s fuck these bitches, bro” culture, and that’s rather unacceptable.

I also find it wretchedly bigoted that of the 109 hip-hop songs on this flagship Apple Music gym playlist, not a single one — seriously! — is made by a woman-identifying artist. Apple, what the fuck? In what absurd, patriarchal world do you make an all-male workout playlist in which every song extols the derogation and abuse of women?

Not in mine, please. I’m asking you to reflect and reconsider. You're making me sick, it’s beneath your brand, and it’s not good for anyone of any gender identity who may listen. Misogyny — or any kind of oppressive hate speech — is not a cultural mythology we want to promote in our social spaces, I think, particularly in a space that is often already hostile and exclusive toward non-“man" folks.

Do better, and all best,

KC

Unfortunately — and, I suppose, rather predictably — I couldn’t find an email address through which to provide Apple with feedback of this sort. They do have a general feedback form online with a feedback box that’s limited to so many characters. It’s intended for product feedback and suggestions, but it was the closest I could come to being able to have a conversation with Apple Music, which is what I really wanted to do. (Here’s the feedback site, if you want to use it yourself: https://www.apple.com/feedback/.)

All that would fit into Apple’s feedback box?

When I was working out yesterday, I gave the #GYMFLOW playlist a try, and I was deeply disturbed. As a fitness professional, regular weightlifter, cross-trainer, cardio burner and gym rat, I expected this playlist to be an energizing, positive compilation that would make me feel powerful and game. Alas, as I’m a "woman," I was assaulted in every song by lyrics calling me a bitch who needed to get off someone’s dick — from the first, featuring the lines, “Fuckin this bitch like a perv / Smack from the back, grab her perm” (Gunna, “fukumean”). I also find it wretchedly bigoted that of the 109 songs on this foundational Apple gym playlist, not one is by a woman-identifying artist. Apple, in what hateful, patriarchal world do you make this derisory, abusive gym playlist? Not mine, please.

I guess we do what we can.

The playlist, for your own analysis:

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/gymflow/pl.ae7c5093e09e49bcb60ec2a1fa2eec24