Sean Ono Lennon slammed the environmentalists claiming vinyl records destroy the world.
The son of Yoko Ono and John Lennon took to X to address the comments made about the physical media formats.
Sean touched on the fact that although vinyl records are plastic, they are not single-use disposable plastics. He also mentioned the effects of cell phones and computers on the environment:
“The vinyl record industry is a tiny shadow of what it once was. LPs and 45s are NOT disposable single use plastics. I have records that were made by Edison’s company that still play. Everyone complaining about vinyl records from an environmental perspective are doing so with their cellphones and their computers and their blue jeans and their sneakers and their bullshit.”
He continued by mentioning he was not trying to directly disrespect anyone:
“This is not to disrespect anyone directly. The main artist speaking on this is brilliant and talented at music. I love them very much actually. But coming out against a tiny niche market in an industry that has already been gutted by streaming services, is not the win you think it is. We literally only have a tiny handful of factories globally that can even print vinyl anymore. Leave us boomers alone. We like our music to sound good. Let us have our records in the physical world. You can stream all you want to pay a tiny handful of CEOs. But we like vinyl. From my cold dead hands!”
What Triggered Sean?
What actually triggered Sean was not just the thoughts of a bunch of environmentalists. Instead, it was Billie Eilish’s comments about the vinyl industry and its effects on the environment.
In a recent Billboard article, Billie Eilish talked about how some artists release lots of different vinyl versions of their new albums without considering the impact on the environment. While some artists agreed with her, Sean was not one of them.
Eilish mentioned in her interview that releasing multiple vinyl versions just to boost sales is ‘wasteful.’ She said:
“It’s irritating to me that we’re still at a point where you care that much about your numbers and you care that much about making money — and it’s all your favorite artists doing that sh*t.”
You can see the singer’s post below.
The vinyl record industry is a tiny shadow of what it once was. LPs and 45s are NOT disposable single use plastics. I have records that were made by Edison’s company that still play. Everyone complaining about vinyl records from an environmental perspective are doing so with…
— Seán Ono Lennon (@seanonolennon) March 29, 2024