When Ye, aka Kanye West, returned to the music scene last year, it was not exactly a red-carpet welcome. Sure, fans were like kids counting down to Christmas, glued to the rollout timeline, but those in the know were well aware of the chaotic return he had with his ‘Vultures 1’ release which felt more like a magic trick gone wrong, with tracks popping in and out like rabbits from a hat. But just when they were settling in, thinking those days were well behind in the rearview, some of his music mysteriously vanished from YouTube, leaving everyone scratching their heads. 

While fans were playing detective for answers, here is the real scoop on why Ye’s musical catalog took a nosedive.

Ye has pulled his fair share of no-show tantrums and disappearing acts on social media, but for a big chunk of his musical legacy to vanish from YouTube? Now that is pushing it. It turns out that the sudden ghosting of his music videos is linked to a licensing squabble with SESAC, the performing rights organization. Fans trying to catch his tunes are met with a message, saying, “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”

This little drama unfolded on Saturday, affecting YouTube's main platform and also YouTube Music. A spokesperson for YouTube, Mariana de Felice, told The Verge that despite their best efforts to renew the existing deal, they could not strike a fair agreement before it expired. The full extent of this takedown is still a bit murky, as not all of Ye's songs are getting the same treatment. 

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For instance, if one version of a Ye track is blocked, chances remain for another version's availability. But Ye is not the only one feeling the YouTube blues. A whole lineup of artists is riding the same bumpy wave. 

This year has been anything but smooth sailing for Ye, with legal troubles popping up like whack-a-mole. But who would have thought a YouTube exodus would make it onto his unpredictable bingo card? However, it is not just him feeling the heat; a whole slew of artists are in the same boat. According to The Verge, music videos from big names like Adele, Britney Spears, Kendrick Lamar, Green Day, Burna Boy, and many more have been swept away.

SESAC represents over 15,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers, and they are the ones licensing the public performance rights for more than 1.5 million songs. An anonymous source even hinted to The Verge that this might be a sneaky negotiation tactic by the streamer, claiming the previous deal does not actually expire until next week. So for now, fans are left to twiddle their thumbs and wait it out, hoping for a speedy resolution.

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What do you think of Ye's and other artists' songs being taken down from YouTube? Let us know in the comments below!