diff --git a/beetsplug/lyrics.py b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
index 4c35d8a2e..76854f0e9 100644
--- a/beetsplug/lyrics.py
+++ b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
@@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ class LyricsPlugin(RequestHandler, plugins.BeetsPlugin):
 
     @cached_property
     def backends(self) -> list[Backend]:
-        user_sources = self.config["sources"].get()
+        user_sources = self.config["sources"].as_str_seq()
 
         chosen = sanitize_choices(user_sources, self.BACKEND_BY_NAME)
         if "google" in chosen and not self.config["google_API_key"].get():
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index d4a2a31d4..d9112d883 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ Bug fixes:
   features for all remaining tracks in the session, avoiding unnecessary API
   calls and rate limit exhaustion.
 
+- :doc:`plugins/lyrics`: Accepts strings (used to only accept list of strings)
+  :bug:`5962`
+
 For plugin developers:
 
 - A new plugin event, ``album_matched``, is sent when an album that is being