In a move against censorship, the pro-democracy anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” has made a return to major music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, just days after being pulled due to a Chinese court injunction.
The anthem, which became the marching cry for the 2019 Hong Kong protests, had initially vanished from platforms following a Hong Kong appeals court ruling that deemed the song a weapon used to incite unrest in the city. However, the team behind the track, DGX Music, wasn’t about to let the government silence their voices.
Staying true to their word, DGX Music swiftly re-uploaded the anthem, accompanied by a bold statement affirming their determination to keep the song alive. The new uploads, which surfaced on May 25th and 26th, feature not just the original acapella version but also an entire EP, complete with orchestral, instrumental, music box, and English renditions – a creative middle finger to those seeking to suppress the track.
On May 27th, “Glory to Hong Kong” made a return to YouTube, with the distributor Distrokid lending its support to the cause. And in a move that could ruffle some feathers, the Spotify, and Apple Music uploads attribute the recording rights to the Danish-based label 7196175 Records DK, potentially shielding the song from further legal action within Hong Kong’s jurisdiction.
For those unfamiliar with the anthem’s backstory, “Glory to Hong Kong” first took the world by storm in August 2019, becoming the unofficial rallying cry for the pro-democracy protests that swept across the city. Its lyrics, which include the provocative line “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” have been deemed pro-independence speech by the Hong Kong government – a contentious issue, given the city’s status as a semi-autonomous region of China.
