Bon Iver's Justin Vernon slams Beyoncé for Pepsi partnership

Don’t expect Bon Iver to be going out on a sponsored tour: In a new interview with The Guardian, frontman Justin Vernon explains how he wants his tour stops to be special — and he makes a dig at Beyoncé in the process.

“You have to believe in something. Like, I’d prefer Beyoncé didn’t do a Pepsi tour,” he said, referencing the superstar’s endorsement deal with the company. “Do not take two million dollars from Pepsi and be a role model for young girls. Do not do that. That stuff does anger me. And I feel like I am not afraid to talk about that stuff.”

Vernon previously revealed his feelings on brand partnerships after working with Bushmills in 2011, a decision he later said he regretted. “It’s run by a corporation, and you kind of forget that they’re not interested in you or really what you’re doing,” he told Grantland in 2015. “They’re interested in your popularity and your reach, and it felt really sickening after a while. Not badmouthing Bushmills the company, but I regret it.”

He’s had a lot of realizations the past few years, he revealed to The Guardian. After the last Bon Iver tour, he said that he made a list of things he wants to stop doing. “Playing a lot of shows, realizing that playing shows for Live Nation is just bulls— and f— that. I grew up loving bands like the Indigo Girls, and they stood for something, doing benefit shows and talking about s— and changing culture or changing people’s mindsets and raising awareness. What’s music for? It’s not about having a bunch of CDs.”

The Wisconsin-based musician is currently doing press for Bon Iver’s upcoming third studio album, 22, A Million. The record — including already-released tracks “33 ‘GOD,'” “22 (OVER S∞∞N),” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T⚄ ⚄” — arrives Sept. 30. Read his full Guardian profile here, and see Bon Iver’s list of upcoming tour dates here.