Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past week, you’ve probably would’ve heard and been drowned out with ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’s latest song ‘APT’, which has been taking the Internet by storm.
While the song has been widely received by millions of listeners, a Malaysian social media page apparently isn’t a fan of the song and wrote a post explaining why.
Claims ‘APT’ encourages ‘deviant lifestyle’
In a Facebook post by Public Health Malaysia, it wrote that unbeknownst to many, the lyrics of ‘APT’ subtly promotes an “unhealthy lifestyle” which is at odds with the Eastern culture practiced by Malaysia.
It then went on to say that it was important to uncover the real meaning behind the lyrics as it was growing in popularity on social media and highlighted certain lyrics which it believed was concerning:
- “Kissy face, kissy face, sent to your phone. But I’m tryna kiss your lips for real.”
- “Turn this apatue into a club, I’m talkin’ drink, dance, smoke, freak, party all night.”
After highlighting the lyrics, Public Health Malaysia turned its attention towards the word ‘APT’ (a short form for ‘apartment’), claiming that it was used for seductive purposes.
The word used in such a context shows the normalisation of behaviour that is contrary to Eastern cultural values. What is more concerning is the fact that the song is often used as background music in social media videos, making it a part of everyday life without us even realising it.
“Children may memorise the lyrics to heart without being aware of the message behind it. As parents, educators and as a society, we should be more careful and sensitive to the influence of Western culture that is increasingly being accepted without censorship,” it wrote.
Debate ensues
In the comment section, netizens were split in their reaction towards the post.
While most of them agreed that the lyrics of ‘APT’ was less than pleasant, they opined that it was still okay to listen to the song as long as one doesn’t actively participate in the Western lifestyle.
‘Can listen to the song but not follow (the lifestyle). When are you going to progress, admin?’
‘Since when was listening to the melody of a song was bad? You should just live in a cave.’
Meanwhile, a netizen jokingly said that ‘APT’ was an acronym for the phrase ‘Apa pun tak boleh. (Anything also cannot)’
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!
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