UAE | General
Controversial Katy Perry hit single unavailable
There has been a huge demand in the UAE for Katy Perry's controversial hit single "I Kissed a Girl".
- By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:42 August 21, 2008
- Image Credit:
- There has been a huge demand in the UAE for Katy Perry's controversial hit single "I Kissed a Girl".
Dubai: There has been a huge demand in the UAE for Katy Perry's controversial hit single "I Kissed a Girl".
Gulf News reported earlier this week that several radio stations had decided against playing the song because it contains lyrics that depict sexuality, lesbianism and promiscuity.
However, several radio stations are continuing to play the song and some residents have been making enquiries about where to purchase the single.
The manager of Virgin Megastores in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates told Gulf News on Thursday they had been inundated with requests for the song, which is not available anywhere in the country.
He said: "We no longer stock singles in our stores and we don't have Katy Perry's album One of the Boys, which includes the single "I Kissed a Girl', in stock at the moment.
"We have had a lot of people coming into the store or calling us asking when we're going to get it. That all depends on the local distribution rights but certainly if the song becomes available it'll be on our shelves."
Gulf News Broadcasting has decided against playing the song, which "contains lyrics that are quite sensitive to local culture".
Steve Pulley, Programme Director at Virgin Radio, part of the Arab Media Group (AMG), told Gulf News yesterday they hadn't banned the song but said it had been dropped from the station's playlist because it hadn't tested well.
He said: "We were playing the song but we took the decision to drop it on the basis of our weekly music research. The song has definitely not been banned but it was scoring very low and has therefore been rested. We rested several other songs yesterday for the same reason. I doubt "I Kissed a Girl" will make another appearance because we would have to carry out more research, and after performing poorly the first time I don't see the point.
"There's so much good new music out there but now and again we take the decision to rest some songs."
Katy Parry's parents, who are both evangelical Christian preachers, have reportedly described the song as "shameful and disgusting".
Gulf News' website has been contacted by numerous people who have found the song offensive, while others are unsure about what all the fuss is about.
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