Chinese social media users hoping to watch Megan Thee Stallion’s performance of “WAP” at this year’s Coachella Music Festival were met with the unsuccessful censoring of some of the more risqué choreography.
While Saturday’s performance could be streamed live on YouTube in many countries, the festival was banned from being broadcast in China. Chinese social media users bypassed the restrictions by streaming the performances illegally on the popular messaging platform WeChat.
The platform’s censors attempted to cover parts of the performance deemed unfit for China’s morality guidelines.
However, the backup dancers moved so quickly across the stage that the small black censor bar, which scurried back and forth across the screen, was unable to block parts of the performance.
As censors struggled to keep up with the performance, WeChat users began typing out translations for the lyrics to “WAP.”
Some users changed the lyrics “wet ass p*ssy” to “wet ass Puxi,” referring to the Shanghai Puxi district where officials have been criticized for lockdown regulations preventing 26 million residents from leaving their homes.
WeChat’s censorship of Megan’s performance went viral both on Twitter and TikTok, with many users poking fun at the failed attempt.
“It’s either his first day or his last day,” one viewer joked in the comments.
“They can’t even keep up,” another wrote.
