Song blasting violence against women lights up Chinese internet: singer Tan Weiwei says ‘it’s just my responsibility’ to give victims a voice
- Popular singer Tan Weiwei’s new album, 3811, quickly went viral for its songs about social issues faced by women in China – including domestic abuse
- Her references, in a song called Little Juan, to a litany of violence against women, and two recent killings, earned powerful endorsement from her female fans
Chinese singer Tan Weiwei’s new album, “3811”, has gone viral since its release on Friday, with most of the buzz reserved for a song called Xiaojuan (Little Juan), whose lyrics are a lament about violence against women.
Tan sings about Little Juan – a cipher for female victims of violence in China – being beaten, burned alive, shaved bald, confined and murdered. “Know my name, remember my name, when can the same tragedy stop recurring?” the lyrics go.
Our minds were blown and we were moved at the same time that a female artist would speak out for women’s rights like this
The song also touches on misogyny, listing Chinese words with negative connotations that have the radical (component of a Chinese character) “women” in them – jidu (jealousy), nu (slave), changji (prostitution) and biao (bitch).
Listeners gave a powerful endorsement to Xiaojuan, but at the same time feared for its fate. “I’m afraid this might get censored soon,” one said on Weibo. “She was bold to speak out,” another said.
Tan is the first mainstream musician in China to use music to address domestic abuse and violence against women.
The title of each track on Tan’s album is the name of a woman – ordinary people she has met such as Wu Chunfang, a driver raising a child by herself, and historical figures, such as Yu Xuanji, a Chinese poet and courtesan of the late Tang dynasty.