Shut it Down?! When Controversial Music Refuses to Stay Silent

by A.F.B

Some songs aren’t just controversial, they’re forbidden. That’s exactly why artists keep performing them. Let’s dive into some of the most  iconic and contentious song performances in history.

"Fuck tha Police" by N.W.A

N.W.A’s 1989 album cover for “Straight Outta Comtpon”

In 1989, N.W.A were explicitly warned by Detroit police to not perform their controversial track “Fuck tha Police”. Despite this, the group chose to play the song anyway, directly defying authorities. As the performance of the song began, the police started moving in to shut it down, forcing the group to flee the stage. This performance became one of the most iconic moments in music censorship, featured in the 2015 ‘Straight Outta Comtpon’ movie tribute.

"Judas" by Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga in her "Judas" music video from 2011

In 2012, Lady Gaga faced intense backlash ahead of her concert in Manila due to her song “Judas”, which was viewed as obscene by religious groups due to her lyrics directly addressing the 'Devil', Judas. Gaga was threatened with criminal charges if she went along with the show, and was advised against it. On stage she stated she is “not a creature of your government, Manila” before beginning to sing the iconic song.

"Secret Love Song, Pt II" by Little Mix 

Little Mix singing their 'gay anthem' in Dubai 

In 2019, British girl band Little Mix performed a gay anthem in their fandom, "Secret Love Song, Pt II", at The Assembly in Dubai with a huge LGBTQ+ flag behind them, a place known for criminalising homosexuality. They turned their show into a powerful act of resistance against censorship and showed support to those who have their sexuality oppressed by their government.

"Attempted 1.0" by Skengdo & AM

Skengdo & AM photoshoot with NICCE, discussing the challenges in the music industry

Drill rappers Skengdo x AM were given suspended prison sentences for preforming their banned drill song “Attempted 1.0” in what became the first UK case of artists being criminally punished for performing music. The decision, claimed to be justified as preventing violence by the police, sparked backlash for criminalising artist's expression and raised major concerns about censorship. Nonetheless, it has gone down as a historic moment of defiance in the music genre.

"As Nasty As They Want To Be" by 2 Live Crew

2 Live Crew’s 1990 album cover “Banned In The U.S.A”

In 1990, the members of 2 Live Crew were arrested for performing songs from their album “As Nasty As They Wanna Be” which a judge prohibited them to a couple days prior. It was the first song in U.S. history to be declared legally obscene by a federal judge. The members were eventually acquitted, but it caused a huge uproar about the balance of freedom of expression, and representation of sex and violence in the music.