Malaysian singer Fish Leong encountered unexpected issues after her performance in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. Not only has her classic song “Unfortunately It’s Not You” been banned on mainland platforms, but her official Weibo account with over 16 million followers was also unexpectedly shut down on January 8th. Speculations arose about the reasons behind these events, possibly related to the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or criticism from netizens about Fish Leong’s body shape.
On January 3rd, the US staged a surprise raid in Venezuela, arresting Maduro and his wife, sparking global attention and shock. Some mainland netizens mockingly ridiculed the Chinese Communist Party leaders, reposting Fish Leong’s song “Unfortunately It’s Not You” to subtly imply “It’s a pity it’s not Xi Jinping who got caught”, leading to the banning of the song on certain mainland platforms. For example, on the “QQ Music” page for “Unfortunately It’s Not You,” the song could play normally one second but then a notice of “this song is temporarily unavailable due to copyright issues” popped up the next second. Additionally, Fish Leong’s Weibo account was closed without warning. Speculations emerged that she might have been “affected” by these events, which is one interpretation.
However, some mainland media reports explained that on January 3rd, during her concert in Xiamen, Fish Leong was photographed visibly gaining weight, with a double chin and rounder figure. Reports stated that she was “criticized for gaining weight, leading to Fish Leong closing her social media accounts.” It was speculated that the pressure of a large number of appearance-related comments might have prompted Fish Leong to temporarily close her account to avoid scrutiny. The report also indicated that Fish Leong’s Weibo page displays “content temporarily unavailable,” and it is expected to be restored around 6 a.m. on January 15th.
The related news also sparked discussions on overseas platforms. Many netizens believe that the closure of Fish Leong’s Weibo account has nothing to do with her body shape at the concert, but rather stems from the song “Unfortunately It’s Not You” angering Xi Jinping. Comments included, “The official account said she weighed 90 kilograms with a double chin before closing Weibo. It is clear to see it’s because of that song, right?” “Or is the song just too popular?” “Everything is off-limits with this or that.”
It is noteworthy that the arrest of former Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife in the US has stirred debates in China. Whenever significant political figures, both domestically and internationally, die, are attacked, or arrested, Chinese netizens would play Fish Leong’s “Unfortunately It’s Not You” or leave comments in the song’s review section on major music platforms. For instance, after the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese netizens wrote, “It’s a pity it’s not you, why isn’t it him,” believed to be indirect criticism towards the current CCP leader Xi Jinping.
Subsequently, related posts and comments about this matter were strictly reviewed on Chinese websites, the topic of “Unfortunately It’s Not You” was cleared on Weibo, and both QQ Music and Netease Music temporarily removed the song. Many netizens left comments like “Unfortunate Xi is not Ne,” “It’s a pity it’s not that someone,” “Although it’s him in the news, in our hearts, this song will always belong to someone else, and its value keeps rising,” “This time, the American empire’s performance is not good, they caught the wrong person, I suggest they try again, those who understand know.”
In August 2024, immediately after finishing her concert in Foshan, China, Fish Leong temporarily closed all her social media accounts. At that time, many fans were concerned, but Fish Leong’s management company reassured them, stating, “She is really fine, thank you for your concern.” It was explained that Fish Leong was simply organizing her social media presence.
Amidst the various speculations, Fish Leong’s management company came forward to address the situation, emphasizing that a large number of untrue messages and malicious content were circulating on Weibo, leading to formal authorization given to the tour organizer to initiate legal proceedings. They vowed to pursue relevant responsibilities according to the law and asserted that they would fully defend the artist’s rights through legal means. They also expressed gratitude for the support and concern shown from the public towards Fish Leong.