Malaysian rapper Namewee is not deterred by the fact that his viral Mandarin pop song mocking Chinese nationalists has been blacklisted by Beijing.
The song, "Fragile," which was released last month and features Australian singer Kimberley Chen, has been scrubbed by censors in mainland China. Within days of the release of the track, Namewee and Chen's Chinese social media accounts were taken down, according to AFP.
Their music was censored and the pair found themselves accused of insulting the country by state media. Despite this, the song has gone viral. It has drawn over 30 million views and is among the top trending YouTube videos in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is also making waves in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
Speaking to reporters, Namewee, who lives in Taiwan, was unapologetic for the song and its content, which takes digs at China's online nationalist commenters as well as Beijing's authoritarian government.
"I never limit myself or impose self-censorship," Namewee said. "To me, good creations should come from the heart; they should be sincere."
The musician added that he believed musical artists should be "free to create" something that is "every creator's wish."
"I am Malaysian, and there are many hindrances there for movies, music, and other works including my albums," he continued.
In a Facebook post in October, Namewee explained that "Fragile" was not intended to directly insult China, according to NBC News.
"A song can have double meanings or even many meanings," he said. "I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, it’s just what they are willing to get from this song."
Chen responded to her censorship on China’s social media by updating the song's lyrics to point out that she still had Facebook and Instagram, which, like YouTube, are banned in China.
"I’m sorry for hurting you. It doesn’t matter that my Weibo is deleted," she sang in Mandarin on Instagram, according to NBC News. "I hear a sound — fragile self-esteem has broken into pieces. It doesn’t matter, I still have IG and FB."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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