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[Banned from Broadcast] Western songs with extreme/explicit lyrics
Japan’s music scene isn’t as diverse as overseas.
As a result, many songs that make it into the mainstream tend to be catchy and aimed at a wide range of generations and demographics.
Overseas, however, it’s different.
Even today, genres like hip-hop often feature extreme content, and many songs have been banned from broadcast over the years.
This time, we’ve picked out some Western tracks with especially wild lyrics.
Whether sexy or violent, these songs feature intensely provocative lyrics—so be sure to check them out!
[Banned from Broadcast] Western Songs with Shocking Lyrics (1–10)
Pumped Up KicksFoster The People
This is a track released in September 2010 by the American indie pop band Foster the People.
They’re known for a style that blends catchy sounds with social messages.
Despite its irresistibly danceable, feel-good beat, this work delivers a shocking narrative about the dark impulses and vengeful feelings of a lonely young man.
Don’t you sense a biting irony in the brutal gap between the sound and the lyrics, one that lays bare the pathologies of modern society? It became a major hit, spending eight consecutive weeks at No.
3 on the Billboard Hot 100, yet its themes also led to cases of broadcast self-restraint.
It’s a song I especially recommend to those who want to experience the depth that pop music can hold.
God Save The QueenSEX PISTOLS
The British punk band, the Sex Pistols.
They’ve produced many classic songs with provocative content, but the one considered the most extreme is “God Save the Queen.” It appears to be a song expressing love for Her Majesty, but the lyrics are actually a scathing critique.
While it doesn’t put things completely straight and instead uses somewhat indirect expressions, it still ended up effectively banned from broadcast.
That said, because it also raises social issues, you might discover something if you listen closely.
Sex on the beachSpankers
A club anthem by the Italian DJ unit Spankers that set the world on fire.
Released in May 2009, this track is, as the title suggests, a party tune themed around beach flings in the summer.
It chants cocktail names like caipirinha and mojito, straightforwardly conveying the frenzy of the party and that liberated feeling.
No complicated theory—this one instantly sweeps listeners into the vortex of the dance floor.
Did you know the Japanese edition of the album “365” features rapper SKY-HI? If you want to get hyped without overthinking, or need the perfect companion for a summer drive, there may be no better song.
Role ModelEminem
Eminem has won numerous music awards over the years.
It’s no exaggeration to say he’s one of the leading figures in the rap scene.
One of the tracks he created with a biting diss is “Role Model.” A role model is someone who is respected by society and held up as an example.
In the lyrics, he calls out people considered role models—such as presidents and politicians—and raps about what he wants to do to them.
The depictions are so detailed that it almost feels like watching a drama.
The EndThe Doors
It’s a roughly 12-minute track that closes The Doors’ self-titled debut album, released in January 1967 by the American rock band The Doors.
It feels as if vocalist Jim Morrison’s inner world has been transmuted directly into sound, portraying an impulse toward ruin within a psychedelic soundscape.
The world it evokes touches taboos lurking in the human subconscious and feels so dangerous that it seems to slowly erode the listener’s sense of ethics.
The piece was used at the beginning of the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, resonating strikingly with the madness of war.
From its calm opening, the song gradually builds toward frenzy, confronting us with the depths of the darkness hidden within the human psyche.
FUCK YOUCeeLo Green
In stark contrast to its outrageously upbeat soul sound, this track by American singer CeeLo Green blurts out brutally honest feelings.
It’s a sadly common story: the person you love leaves you for someone richer.
This song lays bare the anger and jealousy of that moment with disarming candor—and a wicked sense of humor.
That refreshing honesty resonated with many listeners; released as a single from the 2010 album “The Lady Killer” in August, it reached No.
2 on the U.
S.
charts despite broadcast restrictions due to its explicit content.
If you’re reeling from a frustrating breakup, giving it a listen might just help you laugh off the gloom.
3Britney Spears
A track included on pop icon Britney Spears’s second greatest hits album, The Singles Collection.
Released in September 2009, it achieved the remarkable feat of debuting at No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Set to an uptempo electropop sound, the song depicts a romantic relationship among three people.
It delivers a provocative, norm-defying message—two isn’t enough; it’s more fun with more—sung with striking directness.
Many listeners may find themselves startled by the protagonist’s bold pursuit of pleasure, unbound by convention.
Surrender to the catchy beat, and you’ll be swept into a liberating mood that lets you forget the everyday—a thrilling, exhilarating track.