Overview
- Instagram acknowledged on Friday, October 9, 2026 that its system was recommending Creed’s 1999 song “Higher” to more users than intended and issued an apology.
- The platform told CNN that engineers are still investigating the cause and that it has found no public evidence of a paid promotion driving the surge.
- Users across X/Twitter posted that the app repeatedly suggested the track for Stories regardless of the content, which prompted widespread reporting and speculation.
- Instagram said recommendations for Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On” are not a glitch and reflect the song’s real popularity on the platform.
- While Creed’s reunion and the song’s recent viral moments offer context for renewed interest, the company says the current spike exceeds normal patterns and could raise questions about trust in automated recommendations.