India.Arie Speaks Out on Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

India.Arie is speaking out about Yung Miami’s hit single “Spend Dat,” saying the song’s popularity reflects what she sees as a broader cultural issue.

The City Girls rapper’s solo track, released in April, has climbed to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and drew a crowd singalong at the 2026 BET Awards when Yung Miami, whose real name is Caresha Brownlee, appeared as a presenter.

India.Arie shared her criticism of the song in a series of posts on Threads after seeing discussion about its success. “I finally realized that not EVERYBODY wants to get free,” she wrote. “The mass acceptance of this song is a crystal clear sign of this much bigger truth.”

Responding to another post calling for a boycott of “Spend Dat,” the singer said she wasn’t interested in convincing others to change their minds. “Everything you listen to, see or eat is going to influence you. So make wise choices y’all,” she wrote.

As debate over her comments spread online, India.Arie clarified that she was not calling for a boycott and believes everyone is free to make their own choices.

“I don’t need to like it in order for somebody else to enjoy it,” she wrote, adding that her outlook has shifted over the past several years and that her role is simply “to be myself.” She concluded by saying she would not address the topic again.

Yung Miami, meanwhile, celebrated the song’s success during the 2026 BET Awards. Speaking on the red carpet, she said she knew “Spend Dat” would connect with listeners.

“When I recorded that song, I said that this song is going to be a song that resonates with the people and I was right,” she said. “I feel just so happy seeing everybody love the song.”