In December 2024, German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Nela Rihl proposed banning the song Sigma Boy, performed by Russian schoolgirls Svetlana Chertishcheva (Betsy) and Maria Yankovskaya. She claimed that the song promotes "patriarchal and pro-Russian views of the world" and serves as an example of "Russian infiltration into popular discourse through social media.
The song Sigma Boy went viral on social media, especially on TikTok, and reached high positions in international charts, including the seventh place on Billboard's Hot Dance/Pop Songs ranking.
Rihl’s proposal sparked mixed reactions. MEP Petr Bystron called such attempts "a globalist hysteria," emphasizing that young people are simply sharing a popular song on social media. Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs head, Grigory Gurov, stated that European politicians, by attempting to ban the song, are acting against Russian children.
The song’s co-author and the father of one of the performers, Mikhail Chertishchev, stressed that the composition carries no political agenda and was created solely for entertainment purposes.
Thus, the proposal to ban Sigma Boy in Europe is based on the opinion of a single MEP and has sparked significant public debate, including criticism from other politicians and public figures.
The song Sigma Boy went viral on social media, especially on TikTok, and reached high positions in international charts, including the seventh place on Billboard's Hot Dance/Pop Songs ranking.
Rihl’s proposal sparked mixed reactions. MEP Petr Bystron called such attempts "a globalist hysteria," emphasizing that young people are simply sharing a popular song on social media. Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs head, Grigory Gurov, stated that European politicians, by attempting to ban the song, are acting against Russian children.
The song’s co-author and the father of one of the performers, Mikhail Chertishchev, stressed that the composition carries no political agenda and was created solely for entertainment purposes.
Thus, the proposal to ban Sigma Boy in Europe is based on the opinion of a single MEP and has sparked significant public debate, including criticism from other politicians and public figures.