Instagram is sorry it gave users too much Creed

SAN FRANCISCO — Creed is, to most people, a band that represents one particular moment: the turn of the millennium, when it was one of the biggest musical acts in the world and its 1999 stadium-sized anthem "Higher" — which, as many people found out later, was mostly about Jesus — was inescapable on rock radio.

But lately, on Instagram, "Higher" has been linked to all kinds of other moments. Users around the internet have noticed that the social media platform keeps suggesting, if not insisting, that Creed would be the perfect soundtrack to whatever they post.

While the rest of the world may have relegated the song to an ironic karaoke favorite, the Instagram algorithm seemed to be proposing it to accompany anything that might be photographed or filmed. That photo of your dog in a grassy field? Sure would look more adorable accompanied by "Higher" by Creed. A short video of a family barbecue? Add some more flavor with "Higher" by Creed. A picturesque sunset over a favorite lake? "Higher" by Creed might be just the bonus special effect that nature needed.

"I can't prove it but pretty sure Creed is paying META to suggest their song 'Higher' on all Instagram Stories," one person wrote on X in August.

"Posted on instagram about how instagram always tries to make me add Higher by Creed to my stories and it turns out it's happening to other people. I feel like I'm uncovering a big conspiracy," another person wrote in September.

"Instagram really wanted me to add higher by creed to the picture of caesar salad I posted…they almost had me this time," said another.

"That song is always recommended to me too!!," said an Instagram spokesperson when asked about why Instagram seemed to be obsessed with Creed.

Instagram is supposed to recommend music by the same sort of methods it uses to recommend other content. The algorithm chooses possible songs by weighing signals like which songs you've used before or visual information about the photo or video you've selected.

Did everyone have it wrong? Is there still some vast and influential segment of the public for whom Creed never went away, so that the algorithm, as it constantly tracks millions and millions of people's preferences, is just unearthing evidence that so many people really do yearn to be taken higher?

No.

All that Creed, Instagram said, was a mistake. "We looked into this and found that this song is being recommended to more people than intended," said the spokesperson.

"We're continuing to investigate," she said, adding that the engineering team is working on fixing the issue.

Such a persistent passion seemed to many users as if it must have had human choice behind it.

"Anytime I posted anything on my Instagram story, like a dinner plate or my cat or whatever — every time it recommended adding 'Higher' by Creed," said Pamela Ross, a communications specialist. "I'm not following Creed, I'm not listening to Creed. Like what millennial was in charge of this decision?"

"Higher" is not the only song to have made users suspicious. People have also flagged Soulja Boy's "Turn My Swag On" as showing up more often than seems plausible.

In that case, though, Instagram says there's no algorithmic inflation going on.

"The Soulja Boy song being recommended is not a bug, and it is actually popular on IG!" the spokesperson said.

Related topics