Blackpink’s Ice Cream without the sexual overtones? Malaysian bands release Islamic-friendly K-pop covers less likely to upset Muslims
- Bands under Malaysian label Tarbiah Sentap Records are producing clean-cut versions of songs by K-pop acts that ‘contain negative values’
- Their toned-down cover versions of chart-topping K-pop hits better suit the religious beliefs of hundreds of thousands of young Muslims
In recent years K-pop has exploded in popularity around the world, but in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where the music has a large fan base, the naughtiest chart-topping hits – full of double entendres and sexy dance moves – have raised Islamic eyebrows.
Such songs have been branded “mind-corrupting”, or budaya kuning – literally “yellow culture” – a catch-all term for most forms of Western culture, including foreign pop and rock music.
Malaysia’s younger generation is obsessed with K-pop. But those who see negative values in the songs and want to switch to more positive K-pop music have few options, says Usamah Kamaruzaman, a sound engineer and spokesman for Kuala Lumpur-based Islamic pop label Tarbiah Sentap Records.
To the groups represented by Tarbiah Sentap – including Rabithah, Aniq Muhai, Areef, Autotune Band and The Truth – pop nasyid is not only an important tool for spreading the word of Islam to a wider public, it also proves that Islam can be adapted to the modern world.