A few weeks ago, in Germany, numerous folk festivals banned DJ Robin & Schürze‘s hit party song Layla, branding it as sexist. A spokesperson for the city of Würzburg, stated that they “would make sure the song would not be played in the future” during its festival, the Kiliani-Volksfest, due to its misogynistic lyrics which tell the story of a brothel madam.
Düsseldorf also announced it will steer clear of the song during its Rhein fair. This prompted a storm of debates on social media and opens up the question: Should allegedly misogynistic songs be banned at festivals, on streaming services, TV and on the radio?
Arguably, censoring music would be a ridiculous politically correct move to pander to the ‘snowflake’ generation. Critics who believe Layla should not be banned argue that censoring music restricts freedom of speech and expression, and limits artistic potential.
The German Justice Minister, Marco Buschman, tweeted that banning the song text officially would be “going too far.” But if art is championing misogynistic values should it really be celebrated? Should a generation be mocked for advocating basic respect and human decency?
The true debate is not if we should ban music which promotes prejudice, but where we should draw the line with subversive songs. Censoring overtly sexist songs like Layla could quickly spiral into the censorship of songs which challenge dominant politics, or are sexually provocative if guidelines are not adequately managed.
Ultimately, if swear words are censored on the radio, why are derogatory songs like Layla, Eminem’s So Much Better, and Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines permitted at family festivals?
Music constantly surrounds us and holds a huge influence over our mindsets. Many people will blindly follow their favourite celebrities’ beliefs. Songs which promote prejudice are therefore dangerous. They set a poor example and provide credence for misogyny.