China: Hong Kong pop star CoCo Lee’s new album banned

When the singer known as “Asia’s Mariah Carey” launched her new album, it instantly attracted controversy with its sexy image and lyrics

CoCo Lee’s second English album, ‘Exposed’, was officially released in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China on the 25th of March 2005, after having been in the works for two years.

The album reached No. 1 on the HMV Sales Chart in Hong Kong and sold beyond expectations, but soon after its release, record label Sony received an alarming notice from China announcing that the album is banned because of sexual lyrical content in the three tracks ‘So Good’, ‘Touch’, and ‘No Doubt’.

Sony’s response was to release an altered version for the Mainland market with these three tracks lifted from the album.

Even though the album is officially banned, the lyrics and songs are still being broadcasted and sung in China. "The department that governs film in China is different from the department that governs music. Their policies are different. That's why the film department can broadcast and sing it, but the album cannot be sold," Coco explains to Oriental Daily News.

Apparently, CoCo Lee had to go English before she got banned. Her Mando-pop career so far has been pretty uncontroversial.

Coco defends her work saying that the lyrical content is common.

"'No Doubt' is about a girl who loves dancing. She uses dance to seduce a guy. 'Touch' is about remembering an old lover."

These are excerpts of the banned lyrics:

"Big Daddy close the door.
What are you waiting for?
I'm crawling on the fours.
Come join me on the floor.
I want this rug to burn."

"I wanna pass out - with you in it
Don't stop - baby take it
Deeper - till you break it
Open - cause I need it.
Harder, harder, harder, harder"

"Think I'm gonna ride you all night long
Cause this feel so, so, so, good...So, so, so, good...
Oh - I know you feel that."
Lyrics from CoCo Lee’s banned song, ‘So Good’


"Can't wait 'till we're skin on skin.
Face to face and heartbeats racing.
Subway, taxi, airplane or limousine.
Pick one oh anyone."
Lyrics from CoCo Lee’s banned song, ‘Touch’

In April 2005, CoCo Lee’s music video for the song ‘So Good’ was banned in Taiwan by her own label. CoCo expained in a radio interview: “The company feels in Taiwan no singer can be that sexy so it bans it out of fear that fans may not be able to accept it."

About CoCo Lee
CoCo Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1975, raised in San Francisco, and now lives in Taiwan. Her real name is Ferren Lee-Kelly.
Her career took of in 1998 when the hit song ‘DiDaDi’ won her the MTV Asia Music Award for ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best Music Video’. Since her debut in 1994 she has released 12 albums.
In 1997, Lee released her third Mandarin album ‘Each Time I Think Of You’, and the Cantonese album ‘Be Careful Next Time’. She was again awarded Best Female Artist by the Best 10 Artists Awards.
CoCo Lee is the first and best-selling Asian pop star in USA.