Apple Music Pulls Pauline Hanson’s Song

Apple Music has removed the controversial track “Kiss Kiss (XX) My Arse,” performed by Pauline Hanson and Holly Valance, just days after it reached the top of the iTunes best-sellers chart. The song, released on January 26, was a reimagining of Valance’s early 2000s hit “Kiss Kiss” with pointed lyrics targeting what Hanson calls “woke culture.”

Song’s Chart Performance

Following its release, “Kiss Kiss (XX) My Arse” surged to No. 1 on the iTunes best-sellers chart, which is determined by paid downloads alone. This success occurred amidst discussions surrounding Australia Day, where the song briefly outperformed popular tracks like Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need.”

Streaming Issues

Despite its downloads success, the song struggled on streaming platforms. It garnered only around 50,000 streams on Spotify prior to its removal. Major streaming platforms did not recognize it for the official ARIA charts due to its limited performance.

Regulatory Insights

• ARIA confirmed that the song had not been placed on survey, thus making it ineligible for charting.
• The ARIA weekly charts consider both streaming data and sales, meaning that download-only rankings do not ensure broader chart success.
• As of publication, “Kiss Kiss (XX) My Arse” had not appeared on Australia’s major streaming charts.

Reactions from Artists

In the same week of the song’s release, several musicians publicly distanced themselves from One Nation, the political party associated with Pauline Hanson. Notable bands like Hoodoo Gurus and Men at Work’s Colin Hay expressed their disapproval after discovering their music was used by the party during an Australia Day rally.

• Hoodoo Gurus stated they were “disgusted” that one of their songs had been played by the party, criticizing Hanson’s ideology as “toxic.”
• Colin Hay voiced strong opposition to the unauthorized use of his song “Down Under” for anti-immigration protests, emphasizing its message of inclusivity.

As of now, neither Hanson nor Valance has publicly addressed the song’s removal from Apple Music.