Pirated music in China is said to account for as much as 99 percent of all downloads, according to industry estimates.Īuthorities have blocked some foreign bands from giving live performances in China, or at least scrutinized set lists in advance to nix songs considered offensive.
Since 2010, China has required all songs posted on music websites to receive prior approval, in a move the government said was aimed at controlling content and rampant piracy. Songs placed on previous blacklists include Avril Lavigne's "What the Hell" and the Rolling Stones' version of "It's All Over Now" which dates to the 1960s. "It's part of a cyclical chill in terms of cultural control," he said.īoy band The Backstreet Boys, American R&B singer Beyonce, Canada's Simple Plan and British pop group Take That all had songs on the list - the third to be issued by China's government.Īsian artists with songs banned included Taiwan's Chang Hui-mei, who previously drew Beijing's ire after singing the Taiwan anthem at the inauguration of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian in 2000.Ĭhina, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, temporarily banned her from mainland performances and pulled her product advertisements. "Sexuality should be avoided, and politics," he said.īut he saw the move as part of a broader tightening of controls over culture given the revolts in the Arab world, which have worried Beijing. Teng Jimeng, a professor of American studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that sex, politics or religion could put a song on the black list but even songs about "youthful independence" may run afoul of censors. Lady Gaga's "Bloody Mary" ends with the line "Oh, libertad, mi amor (Oh, freedom, my love)", while "Hair" includes the lyrics "This is my prayer/ That I'll die living just as free as my hair".
It did not explain why the songs were banned but China routinely censors anything it considers politically sensitive or offensive. The notice, issued on August 19 and posted on the ministry's website, included American singer Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory", "Hair", "Marry the Night" and "Bloody Mary". The ministry of culture said it aimed to regulate the "order" of the Internet music market, adding songs that "harm the security of state culture must be cleaned up and regulated under the law". China has banned 100 songs from being featured on websites, barring artists ranging from Lady Gaga to the Backstreet Boys apparently for being out of tune with the country's cultural authorities.
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