3 Banned Songs From the 2010s That Will Make You Scratch Your Head

Songs, at their core, are supposed to enliven you. They’re like light bulbs for doubt, for the uncertainty that comes with life itself. They are meant to illuminate, entertain, provoke thought, offer compassion and empathy, and just generally make you feel like a better person. But sometimes this effort can lead to boundary-pushing and even banishment.

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Below, we wanted to examine three songs that achieved the latter. Let’s look at a trio of recently released tracks that were banned in one form or another due to their content or overall vibe. Indeed, these are three banned songs from the 2010s that will make you scratch your head.

“Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke from ‘Blurred Lines’ (2013)

The son of sitcom star Alan Thicke, Robin rose to fame in many ways as a music producer for artists like Lil Wayne. But when he broke out on his own as a solo performer, it was his track and accompanying music video for the song “Blurred Lines” that caused quite a stir. The song, which hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, has been criticized for being sexist and chauvinist. The track’s unrated music video was banned for some time on YouTube. In the United Kingdom, the tune was banned by nearly two-dozen universities. Okay then!

“Red Nation” by The Game from ‘The R.E.D. Album’ (2011)

He’s one of the most prolific rappers in recent memory. The Compton, California-born lyricist known as The Game released his controversial hit single “Red Nation” in 2011. The color noted in the title is associated with gang culture. And this caused outlets like MTV and BET to ban the song’s music video from their programming. The music video channels did not want to promote gang culture, they said. Still, the track’s vid has garnered significant attention on online platforms on YouTube. It has since amassed tens of millions of streams to date.

“Born Free” by M.I.A. from ‘Maya’ (2010)

As one who is never afraid to speak her mind or talk about what she believes, the London-born artist M.I.A. did so in 2010 on her track “Born Free”. Known for songs like the 2008 offering “Paper Planes” from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, M.I.A. took it up a notch with her 2010 track, which highlighted genocide and other wartime atrocities. In fact, the track’s accompanying music video was banned on YouTube because of its graphic extended scenes of violence undertaken by military police. Even today, to see the visual work, viewers must be of a certain age and steel themselves against the horrid images perpetrated by people around the world.

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