Malaysia bans hit song 'Despacito' over raunchy lyrics
Track by Puerto Rican artists Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee most streamed of all time
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Malaysia has banned Luis Fonsi's song "Despacito" on state radio and television, though it might be hard to slow the song's record-breaking popularity.
The ban applies only to government-run radio and TV outlets, not to private stations or YouTube or the music streaming services fuelling the song's success.
Communications Minister Salleh Said Keruak said the song had been reviewed and banned because of a public complaint that the lyrics are obscene.
He urged private radio stations to censor the song themselves out of sensitivity to local culture.
Mr Salleh did not give further details on the complaint and was not available for comment.
Islamic party Amanah earlier denounced the song and called for it to be kept off Malaysia's airwaves as many young children were singing it without understanding the words.
“We respect the right to be entertained but there should be clearer guidelines so that the entertainment does not spoil people but makes them better,” party official Atriza Umar told The Star newspaper.
The Spanish-language song, whose title means “slowly”, was released by Puerto Rican artists Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in January.
The original and a remix featuring Justin Bieber together are the most streamed track of all time, with more than 4.6 billion plays across streaming platforms. The previous record was held by Bieber for his 2015 song "Sorry".
When the record was announced earlier this week, Fonsi credited streaming for helping his music reach every corner of the planet.
Associated Press
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