Robert Smith says he doesn’t “stream music on principle”

The Cure‘s Robert Smith has revealed that he does not “stream music on principle” – see what he had to say below.

• READ MORE: The Cure – ‘Songs Of A Lost World’: a masterful reflection on loss

During a new interview on the Sidetracked podcast with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, in which he celebrated the release of the band’s latest LP, ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, Smith touched on his listening habits, revealing that he isn’t a fan of streaming.

While he doesn’t go into detail on why he doesn’t “stream music on principle and never will”, it’s likely akin to his longstanding issues with ticketing platforms such as Ticketmaster.

Instead, besides vinyl, Smith listens to music through a collection of “loads and loads” of iPods that he owns. He explained to Mac and Grimshaw: “I’ve got playlists, iPods. I’ve got loads and loads of different iPods with stickers on them so I know in the dark which one’s gonna play which. So, they’ve all got stuff on them which suits my mood. There’s so much music I’ve got — not in a nostalgic way, but stuff that I can not just move about to but also means something to me, reminds me of a lot of times and people.”

Clearly not a fan of streaming, Smith added it would be “disingenuous” to pretend that he was tapped into the year’s pop phenomenons – Charli XCX‘s ‘Brat’ summer and Chappell Roan’s debut LP ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess‘.

Smith said the records aren’t aimed at him, and that “It would be kind of a bit weird if I was like ‘yeah it’s my favourite thing’.” He then added: “I think what they do as artists is really fantastic but I think that probably it would be dishonest if I said it’s what I listen to at home.”

Earlier this month, he spoke to Radio X host John Kennedy as part of a special track-by-track playback of ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ and spoke both about how quitting smoking helped him preserve his voice, and how the band are already sitting on a lot of new material.

For example, Smith not only revealed that the band have “written a really catchy pop song” that they are contemplating releasing as a Christmas single, but he also added that they were well underway with plans for two more albums – one of which is set to be a “companion piece” to ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, while the third takes a different approach.

This wasn’t the first time that Smith hinted at new material either, as back in 2020 he told NME that The Cure were hard at work on “two new albums and an hour of noise”.

‘Songs Of A Lost World’ was given a five-star review by NME, which read: “Merciless? Yes, but there’s always enough heart in the darkness and opulence in the sound to hold you and place these songs alongside The Cure’s finest.”

It was also included in NME’s list of Best Albums Of The Year, while lead single ‘Alone’ starred in NME’s Best Songs Of 2024. “‘Alone’ ended a 16-year drought and proved The Cure haven’t lost any of their magic. Through swirling synths and cinematic instrumentation, paired with Robert Smith’s poignant lyricism and melodies, this epic is a masterwork of ethereal beauty and raw emotional depth,” the latter read. “One of their most captivating songs to date.”

Since then, the band have released the new ‘A Fragile Thing’ EP featuring a live version and a Robert Smith remix, before sharing a new live album of their special London launch gig.