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Chechnya bans music outside the range of 80-116 beats per minute

Officials have given artists until June 1 to rewrite material that does not fall within the accepted range

As CNN ’s Jack Guy and Anna Chernova write, Kadyrov has gone to great lengths to “stifle any form of dissent.” The regime has been accused of numerous human rightsviolations, particularly against gay men. “Some hip-hop and rap, which is typically played at speeds between 60 and 140 beats per minute, would in theory still qualify for the traditional Chechen ‘sense of rhythm’” that officials are trying to promote, as the Guardian writes. Examples of now-banned tunes are Taylor Swift ’s “Shake It Off” and Beyoncé ’s “Single Ladies,” which are too fast, and the Beatles ’ “Hey Jude,” which is too slow, per NBC News ’ Yuliya Talmazan.

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