Katy Perry, Publishers, and Self-censorship in China
On Monday, CDT Chinese reposted a letter circulating on Weibo which purportedly shows singer Katy...
pop music
Lady Gaga “Banned” in China After Dalai Lama Meeting
American pop diva Lady Gaga has reportedly found her music banned in China after she met with the...
‘Little Apples’ in Xinjiang
In a post for The China Story, the University of Sydney’s David Brophy describes...
“Positive Energy” in Musical Homage to First Couple
Xi Jinping is so far enjoying much popularity among the public, thanks at least in part to a...
Minitrue: Update on Blacklisted HK Pop Stars
The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been...
Uyghur Pop Star Eyes Greater Mainland Fame
At TIME Emily Rauhala reports on unlikely Uyghur pop star Ablajan Awut Ayu’s fame in...
Ruhan Jia: China’s State-Sponsored Pop Star
After the Global Times released poll results late last year showing the international perception...
Is Xi’s Wife a New Kind of First Lady?
NPR’s Louisa Lim profiles Peng Liyuan – the wife of new Chinese leader Xi Jinping, one of China’s most famous singers, and an AIDS activist – and explores whether she will pull out of the public spotlight...
China’s Gangnam Style & the K-Pop War Machine
After the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs a year ago today, some in China pondered the country’s failure to produce a similarly iconic business leader. The Ningbo city government even launched a program aimed at building...
Music Video: “The Whole World is Laughing at China Being Stupid” (全世界都在笑中国傻)
Increasingly, music videos in China are not only a form of entertainment but carry a political message – sometimes subtle, sometimes not – as well. See this CDT translation for an example. ChinaHush has also...
Shanghai Michael Jackson 1 Minute Memorial Event
Yesterday in Shanghai, fans held a one-minute memorial for Michael Jackson. From the announcement for the event, via chinaSMACK: 7:00 sharp, the music will begin and during this time, no matter if you where you are, please stop...
China Reacts to Death of Michael Jackson
As news about the death of Michael Jackson broke and mourners overwhelmed websites around the globe, the story was also top news on sites in China. chinaSMACK translates reactions of Chinese netizens: 新浪上海网友: Pathetic...
China’s Biggest Pop Star Debuts Her Exotic Talents In The West
From Christian Science Monitor: It’s probably best to start here, because here is where most newspaper and magazine profiles – both Chinese and Western – start: Yes, she’s beautiful, sharply and distinctly so....
Video: Sa Dingding Wins the BBC World Music Prize
A Sanskirt spoken Beijing girl, Sa Dingding won the BBC World Music (Asia/Pacific) prize for her cross-culture music. This is London leads: “I’m a Chinese girl and I love my country’s culture,” said Sa Dingding, accepting...
Made in China: The Singer Poised to Sweep the Globe
The Independent introduces singer Sa Dingding, who some experts think is about to become China’s first successful pop music export: This summer a telegenic former Mongolian nomad who sings in Tibetan and fuses the sound of...
The Sound, Not of Music, but of Control – Howard W. French
In the wake of a domestic uproar over “vulgar” pop songs, the New York Times looks at what happens when popular music is “harmonized”: Even without resorting to direct censorship, the state has formidable...
Pop Saves Hong Kong – Benedict Leung
From Tofu Magazine: When we see the generalised merchandising of words, things, bodies and souls, communication technology, now more than ever, plays a central ideological role in silencing thought. In this new age of alienation, the increasing use of pop stars by the media and in advertising illustrates this debasing process. Pop star culture is […]
Clayton Hirst: From Britney to Brit pop to Beijing
From the Independent: The former managing director of the Zomba record label will head a newly created office in Beijing, partly funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). UK Music Services will act as a point of contact for independent UK music companies wanting to break acts in China. The Government is keen […]
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