Charlotte Huot April 22nd, 2025 - 6:49 PM
Michael Angelakos, frontman of Passion Pit, is no stranger to speaking out about the darker sides of the music industry—but in a recent Substack post, he pulled no punches. Through an Instagram post shared on his behalf (Angelakos does not use social media himself), the artist described the industry as “a hegemonic complex that is the very definition of human rights abuse on every level and in every way.”
In his characteristically sharp tone, Angelakos critiqued not only the institutions that profit off artists’ work, but also the cultural figures who maintain the status quo. “If the number one export of the U.S. is entertainment, their charisma explains it all,” he wrote. “If you continue to talk about it, it exists… The delection of IP is actually in favor of artists in most ways—I know that is hard to understand but trust me. If we’re not getting paid now, and you’re all still thinking it’s going to change, what has changed?”
Angelakos also called out legacy artists—those with long-established fame—for failing to advocate for younger and emerging musicians. “I ask all of you to ask the legacy artists what they’ve done for any of us—the artists we worship and adore who are the industry? It’s done. Move on.”
The post was promoted on Instagram with the caption “pulling no punches on Substack—link in bio.” A disclaimer followed, presumably from Angelakos: “To anyone who brings ethnicity into this, or thinks this is a conspiracy theory, you will be blocked. We will not tolerate anything that is objectively wrong. Come at me with your opinions on Substack, but be warned: you will not win this one. And you don’t want to anyway.”
Angelakos has long been outspoken about artist rights, mental health and the structural inequalities embedded in the music business. This latest message adds to his ongoing campaign to reframe conversations around ownership, compensation and power in an industry often resistant to change.
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Photo credit: Raymond Flotat
