by Staff writer
Indonesia’s most populous province has banned the daytime play of songs by pop star Ariana Grande for being ‘pornographic’.
Songs by Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars were also included in the restriction.
The West Java provincial broadcast commission identified 85 songs labelled ‘adult’ that can only be aired between 10pm and 3am.
These include Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You‘, Bruno Mars’ ‘That’s What I Like’ and Ariana Grande’s ‘Love Me Harder’, which have been deemed to have too ‘vulgar’ and ‘negative’ lyrics.
Restrictions on certain content and behaviors has become commonplace in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.
Though Indonesia is officially a secular country, local bylaws based on sharia still bear great influence.
Neneng Athiatul Faiziyah, a member of the commission, said on Tuesday: ‘Broadcast programmes are prohibited from containing songs and/or video clips that display or contain obscenities, sex…and drugs.’
She said the action followed complaints from the public and there were similar objections over thousands of songs.
Faiziyah said the broadcast commission was also drawing up a list of Indonesian language songs considered ‘adult’.
West Java is home to 48 million people and is known for being among the most conservative provinces in Indonesia.
