'Despacito,' the Most-Streamed Song of All Time by Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber, Banned in Malaysia Over Sexy Lyrics

"Despacito" may be the most-streamed song in the world, but at least one country is not a fan: Malaysia.

The Muslim-majority country has pulled the Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber track off state-run television and radio stations after being inundated with complaints that the song's lyrics were too sexually suggestive, in contravention of the modest teachings of Islam.

"'Despacito' will not be aired by the government-owned broadcast stations because we received public complaints. The lyrics are not suitable to be heard," Malaysia's communications and multimedia minister Salleh Said Keruak told AFP Thursday.

"Despacito," which translates "Slowly," contains lyrics alluding to two lovers getting intimate. "Let me surpass your danger zones / Until I provoke your screams," sings Fonsi.

The reggaeton-tinged pop song—which has reached No.1 in more than 30 countries around the world—can still be played on privately-owned stations in Malaysia, but Salleh told AFP he hopes they will also ban the song.

The opposition political party Parti Amanah Negara, which promotes Islamic politics in Malaysia, has previously called on the government to ban "Despacito" from the airwaves.

Atriza Umar, the chairperson of the party's women's wing, described the song as "porn" and worried it could have a negative influence on Malaysian youth.

"I regret that these problematic songs are not censored by the ministries," she said, according to AFP. "I urge the authorities to ban this song and other songs that contain sexy and violent lyrics which are not suitable in accordance with Islam and our eastern culture."

The most-streamed song in the world

News of Malaysia boycotting "Despacito" comes just one day after record label Universal Music announced it has become the most-streamed song of all time. (It is still available to download or stream in Malaysia.)

The Spanish pop song has been streamed 4.6 billion times across all platforms, Universal announced Wednesday. It overtakes Bieber's 2015 hit "Sorry," which was played 4.38 billion times, and Sheeran's "Shape of You," streamed 4.07 billion times since its release earlier in 2017.

"Streaming is a connector for audiences worldwide and it has helped my music reach every corner of the planet," Fonsi said. "It is truly an honor that 'Despacito' is now the most streamed song in history."

The original version of "Despacito," written and recorded by Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, became an instant hit in Latin markets when it was released in January. An English-language remix featuring additional vocals from Bieber helped the track go global. That version has topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and singles charts in the U.K., Mexico, Australia and even Malaysia while it was more readily available.

"Despacito" has been a worldwide success for a number of reasons. The song, performed mostly in Spanish, is the rare instance of a pop song being embraced by two major music markets simultaneously—both the mainstream English-language market and the Latin American market, which saw growth for the first time in a decade in 2016 because of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music making it easier for listeners to access music by Latin artists.

The pop hit was also boosted by Bieber's appearance on the English-language remix released in April. The global superstar's audience reach in the age of digital music is one of the highest in the music industry. His song "Sorry" previously held the record for most-streamed track and he is the first artist to reach over 10 billion views for his music videos online.

Bieber's status as a tabloid magnet has inadvertently helped the song, too. In May, a video of him performing "Despacito" went viral as the star admitted onstage he did not know the Spanish lyrics. Instead, he sang "blah blah blah" and substituted certain words with "burrito" and "Dorito."

The Canadian singer's improvised rendition of "Despacito" is just one of many spoofs of the hit song that have contributed to its viral success. A Facebook video of Doug the Pug, an internet social media star, titled "Despugcito," has been viewed 17 million times, for example.

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