Songs that threaten “national security” soon to be banned from karaoke

The Chinese government has decided to ban from October 1, 2021 the broadcasting of certain songs in karaoke. Last week, local authorities said titles deemed “illegal” because of their lyrics would be included in the measure. In particular, they pointed to the pieces likely to “undermine national security”, reports Franceinfo, Friday.

The list of prohibited works will be communicated to the heads of karaoke establishments in the country. They will then have to remove them from their playlists, which currently have a total of more than 100,000 songs. An official from the Chinese Ministry of Culture, however, explained that controlling karaoke would prove “particularly difficult”. The country has about 50,000.

Karaoke, a very popular pastime

This hobby, highly appreciated by the population, is practiced in facilities including private rooms equipped with the latest equipment. To establish the list of the pieces banned in these places, Beijing will seek to identify those which could generate or stir up protest movements against the regime. Titles affecting the interests of the country and the national honor will be concerned.

The authorities will also ban songs whose lyrics violate religious policies or incite hatred or ethnic discrimination. Obscene references to violence, gambling or any other illegal activity will also be tracked. Karaoke owners have been urged by Beijing to review their catalog and report any content deemed unsafe, adds the BBC.

In China, songs are regularly removed from music streaming platforms for their content perceived as subversive. I Love Taiwanese Girls was thus censored because MC Hot dog explained in it preferring girls from Taiwan to Chinese women while Beijing considers the island to be part of its territory. The song titled I do not want to go to school was also deleted because his words were deemed “immoral”.