Keeping with Apple's family-friendly image, Lana Del Rey said she couldn't say the title of her new album on stage because Apple 'told us not to swear'

October 31, 2018

Keeping with Apple's family-friendly image, Lana Del Rey said she couldn't say the title of her new album on stage because Apple 'told us not to swear'

Apple often has surprise musical guests appear at its release events, and this month's launch in Brooklyn featured Lana Del Rey.
Del Rey performed songs off her new album "Norman F-----g Rockwell," but she said on stage that she couldn't say the title because Apple asked her not to swear.
While that request might come as a surprise to some, Apple has long positioned itself as a family-friendly brand where some things aren't allowed. Apple doesn't allow pornographic material in its App Store, for example, and some of its upcoming original content has reportedly been delayed due to concerns over "gratuitous sex, profanity, or violence."

Apple closed out its launch event on Tuesday with a performance from surprise musical guest Lana Del Rey, but in an unusually transparent move, the singer told the audience she wasn't able to actually name drop her song or album due to their explicit titles.

Del Rey took the stage to perform two songs off her upcoming album, titled "Norman F-----g Rockwell." She said she was unable to share the name of the record because Apple "told us not to swear." She ran into the same problem when introducing the track "Venice B----h."

"Again, in the name of swearing, I won’t say the title of the second track," Del Rey said. "I'll call it 'Venice' for now."

While those accustomed to hearing their favorite artists perform unfiltered at concerns might be surprised at such a request, this family-friendly approach to its events and services isn't new for Apple. The Wall Street Journal reported in September that CEO Tim Cook is determined for Apple to present itself as a family-friendly company, so it's not a stretch that cursing would be considered a no-no during a live event that's streamed to Apple fans around the world.

We've also learned more about what Apple is and isn't willing to produce thanks to recent reports on Apple's $1 billion venture into original TV programming. The tech giant has ordered more than a dozen shows, but an already-produced series from rapper Dr. Dre was reportedly rejected after Tim Cook flagged scenes that depicted cocaine use, graphic sex, and "drawn guns."

Meanwhile, producers of original content like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO have found great success and popularity in edgy shows like "House of Cards," "Handmaid's Tale," and "Game of Thrones" that often include nudity, explicit language, and graphic violence.

But that hasn't stopped Apple from buying up children's cartoons and editing its shows, such as Carpool Karaoke, to eliminate cursing and make them more family friendly.

At the launch event Tuesday where Del Rey performed, the tech giant announced a new MacBook Air, iPad Pros, and Mac Mini.

Past musical guests who have performed at Apple events include Drake, Coldplay, Norah Jones, and OneRepublic.

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