Iranian Music Streaming Site Removes All Female Singers From Their Album Covers, And It Looks Really Wrong
An album isn't just about the music. Yes, the sounds are without a doubt its most essential element, but we must acknowledge the role of cover art in making it whole. Be it the fold-out gatefolds of the vinyl era, the pull-out liner notes in CD cases or the icon on a digital player, these visuals have an important role in defining how we look at a particular release. However, one Iranian streaming site, Melovaz, isn't happy with how some of them look. In fact, they're so worried these album covers might be a bad influence on their listeners, they're censoring them. What devil seeds are these pictures featuring, you ask? Women.
This post may include affiliate links.
"I was casually scrolling through Reddit when a user there submitted a photo of Taylor Swift's new album cover without herself, just the album title," Izzi, the Twitter user who spread the message, told Bored Panda. "In the comment section, someone linked to that Iranian music streaming site so I went there and discovered the huge collection of photoshopped music covers specifically involving women."
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born
The way the darker streak connects to his forehead makes it look like something is oozing from his mind. Could be a good concept for some obscure indie song with a manifesto like 'with my guitar I shape reality' or 'Freeing the monsters from my mind through song'...
When you jam too hard and your Lovecraftian void creature materializes from the abyss to tell you to keep it down
well atleast now we know how stars are born... they are puffs of smoke looking in a mans eyes before they become bright shining orbs
This looks like some spiritual guidance CD, like some weirdo walking around with a guitar around campus, but he never actually plays the guitar, like "Denise... can I offer you a ride to Syracuse this weekend? You can meet my parents, they are back from a conference in Utah "
At first, he was surprised and in disbelief, however, due to the ridiculousness of the situation, Izzi couldn't help but laugh at some of the horrible jobs they did to remove the female artists from their covers. "That was when I felt like I should share this on my Twitter."
Lana Del Rey - Nfr!
"The editing for A Star Is Born's song Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper infuriated me the most. They completely censored and removed Gaga but not Brad, and even did a terrible job at it. That was so unnecessary."
"I would like to add that I know for a fact that some countries in the Middle East would censor its female images by adding clothes and hijabs, I'm not okay with that, but this Iranian streaming site takes it to a whole new level by erasing every trace of them," Izzi said. "I hope this brings some awareness to the world that some women still face this kind of discrimination even in the 21st century."
Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water Cover
honestly, the second one actually looks pretty cool, it just needs a different title
Beyoncé - Spirit
Little Mix Ft. Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me
Why? These are just head shots while wearing black turtlenecks.
Céline Dion - Ashes Steve Aoki Deadpool Demix
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep
Mxmtoon - The Masquerade
Billie Eilish - When I Was Older
Lizzo, Dababy - Truth Hurts
Oh. My. God. I can see a little bit of female skin in the bottom left! What a scandal, the censors didn't do a good job.
Katy Perry - Small Talk
Pnb Rock, Nicki Minaj, Murda Beatz - Fendi
Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa
Melanie Martinez - K-12
They also erased half of the flower pot. Like, what did it do wrong?
Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next
Ariana Grande - Imagine
Marina - Love Fear
Kygo And Whitney Houston - Higher Love
Afro B - Afrowave 3
Camila Cabello - Liar
Meghan Trainor - Badass Woman
Lana Del Rey - Doin' Time Album
Ariana Grande - Boyfriend
Celine Dion - Courage
Beyonce - Homecoming
Miley Cyrus - She Is Coming
Bebe Rexha - Last Hurrah
Taylor Swift - Lover
Saweetie - Icy
This is like the only one I remotely understand the purpose for censoring.
Note: this post originally had 64 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
As Iranian girl who lives there, I'd like to mention that according to strange law here listening to female singers is banned and this site is doing illegal and this sort of censorship is a weak try for ditching authorities. by the way 90 percent of people here don't like this kind of rules and don't listen to the government. this actually happened after 1979 Revolution in Iran before that time we had a free country like yours.
It makes more sense now that you've explained the reason why. Religion should never have power in government. I hope you return to having freedoms, stay strong, sister! ✊
Load More Replies...
Apparently I was downvoted for agreeing with you on how the Iranian government is treating the women is wrong. Wow.....
Load More Replies...
Yet censorship is accepted widely, particularly if moneycomes i to play. Western IT companies freely abide to China's censorship for example if they fear it might otherwise affect their business.
To their credit, these Iranian sites seem to be doing what they have to to make Western music available. It sounds like they’re risking arrest and aren’t even making money. Western companies are the exact opposite.
Load More Replies...
Or 1 possible result of no clear separation of Church & State :-/
Load More Replies...
Having spent time in Iran you get used to this. Western movies are heavily censored to the point that plots cease to make sense because all the female characters have been removed. Iranian culture is nowhere near as conservative or repressed as people think it is (you'll see all kinds of women's hair styles if you walk down a street in Tehran) but the publishers/broadcasters know if someone in the religious police wants to make an example of someone that month, they have no chance of escaping a harsh penalty if they are the ones picked on.
Thank you Jon S. for your patient explanations throughout this post. I feel like I've learned a lot from you about a culture I'm not very familiar with. Very much appreciated!
Load More Replies...
This isn't suprising... it's just sad. There's Islam, modesty and then there's plain old ignorance.
Had to google this because I couldn't believe this level of bigotry could be so deeply institutionalized anywhere in 2019. I'm speechless.
And when you think Iran used to be such a free and modern country before 1979.
I would understand if they deleted male pictures too for religious reasons. But this way it looks like women are inferior to men by definition (whose??). Too sad.
In Islam a woman is literally worth half a man, both in monetary value and as a witness in court. But that isn't what this censorship is about. The shape of a woman's body is considered pornographic and Iranian modesty laws say it should be disguised with loose clothing. Men also have to obey modesty laws and are not allowed to show naked flesh or have bold hairstyles, which might be why some of the men are also censored (or it might be that it was easier to remove both figures, I'm not sure).
Load More Replies...
I can imagine that these rules are strange and terrifying for people from rest of the world especially women.rules like that you can't wear whatever you want! or our terrible censorship. here women go to jail for disobeying such rules and we have so many women rights activists who fight for simple rights that we had once(40 years ago). It's not easy at all for us. some of them even pay with our life to fight with these conditions. if you like you can read a sad example in this link https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49646879
The thing that gets me is that the MUSIC in most cases is unbelievably sexy and - often - explicit! I'm guessing the censors are assuming the people listening to it don't understand any English, but that isn't a safe assumption in the world we live in. And besides, even if you don't understand the lyrics, it's clear from the music what it's about. I get why some of these are censored - they are pretty racy. But obliterating the female form altogether is the epitome of misogyny=hate of women. I find this troubling on SO MANY levels.
If you're gonna take things out of album covers, at least learn how to fu**ing use photoshop.
Weirdly inconsistent: If you stick to the Books, you will not make any images of creation --- so no cats, dogs, men, nor trees (but yes guitars?); no excuse for just cutting out women.
Showing the shape of a woman's body is considered pornography. Faces and hands are fine, but no more than a whisp of fringe and definitely no cleavage or arched back.
Load More Replies...
Government should be made up of a diverse population representing all the people. But this type of censorship is deranged. It should be like a smorgasbord, the variety is there and the people can choose what best suits them. One day you will be free to choose whatever you desire! The world is rooting for your people! Stay strong!
wow, are they homosexual and scared of females? Are their females so ugly that they can't stand to see a beautiful woman because they will enter in a masturbatory rage and eventually kill themselves from exhaustion ?
All women should be removed from Iran, at least they will learn something.
This isn't islamic related is just plain stupid. It's not what actual Muslims would do. We would simply not buy it nor sell it if we don't agree with it. We wouldn't stop something someone else likes. That's just plain stupid Haram police. It's political religion, when someone uses religion to benefit their own ways and bend the meanings to suit them. We've seen Christianity being used that way too, you have the movie book of Eli that proves that same point, the Spanish inquisition, the colonial killings because they didn't want to convert to Christianity, etc. Hatred is not taught in Islam. We are not taught to hate people because they're different, or to destroy or impose our beliefs. That's politics. Not religion. That's culture. That's manipulation of the truth, to move masses to let them be passive, that's a cult.
they simply apply an islamic veil on the music. Muslims way of life...
This is male-controlled religious governance at its purest. If the far-right conservatives in the USA had their way, the USA would turn into this.
I am surprised some of this albums are even on the catalog. Many of those you can't listen to when your mom's around.
I'm glad I don't live in Iran. I couldn't bear the level of stupidity displayed by this censorship. It doesn't really matter whether the regular people are against these stupid rules or not if they do nothing to overthrow the government.
Oh , and what people can do against one of the most dangerous scary regimes in the world ...?! Do you have any idea what is going on in Iran's prisons, and how many people- activists, teachers, artists... send to jail every week...?? doing "Nothing"...?! people are you are so stupid that don't deserve being in this world. idiot.
Load More Replies...
They're scared they're going to cheat. If they're kept covered and in the home they can't run off with someone else.
Load More Replies... 
I know many Iranians, and I assure you the average Iranian's view is not "down with the sin-causing females" but rather "Oh God, not the idiot religious loonies *again*". Although to be fair some of the censored photos actually look artistically better in a minimalist way..,
Every country and society have some form of censorship, depending on that country's and society's values and principles. Even western countries have censorship to degrees which reflect their values. So criticizing a country like Iran because of its censorship laws is silly really. How do Westerners feel when more conservative societies criticize and condemn what are perceived as Western societies' lack of moral values ? You won't like it would you ?
Do western societies photoshop women out like they don’t exist?
Load More Replies...
Yer I think you have this one a bit wrong. I mean I don't think Iranians are white! So this is just racist, haven't you heard that people of colour don't do wrong things and in the highly unlikely situation they do, it's either down to racisum or it's a white persons fault!!! You keep up with the Transphobia Mr Panda and you won't be bored anymore, coz i'll be suing you for man spreading!!!!
And these 3 words would be "yeah, lalala and wooooohoooo".
Load More Replies...
Poor weak men afraid to loose control by looking at femalshaped drawings. They seem really afraid of female power
Load More Replies...
You could say the same for Germany in the early 1940s. ♥
Load More Replies...
As Iranian girl who lives there, I'd like to mention that according to strange law here listening to female singers is banned and this site is doing illegal and this sort of censorship is a weak try for ditching authorities. by the way 90 percent of people here don't like this kind of rules and don't listen to the government. this actually happened after 1979 Revolution in Iran before that time we had a free country like yours.
It makes more sense now that you've explained the reason why. Religion should never have power in government. I hope you return to having freedoms, stay strong, sister! ✊
Load More Replies... Apparently I was downvoted for agreeing with you on how the Iranian government is treating the women is wrong. Wow.....
Load More Replies... Yet censorship is accepted widely, particularly if moneycomes i to play. Western IT companies freely abide to China's censorship for example if they fear it might otherwise affect their business.
To their credit, these Iranian sites seem to be doing what they have to to make Western music available. It sounds like they’re risking arrest and aren’t even making money. Western companies are the exact opposite.
Load More Replies... Or 1 possible result of no clear separation of Church & State :-/
Load More Replies... Having spent time in Iran you get used to this. Western movies are heavily censored to the point that plots cease to make sense because all the female characters have been removed. Iranian culture is nowhere near as conservative or repressed as people think it is (you'll see all kinds of women's hair styles if you walk down a street in Tehran) but the publishers/broadcasters know if someone in the religious police wants to make an example of someone that month, they have no chance of escaping a harsh penalty if they are the ones picked on.
Thank you Jon S. for your patient explanations throughout this post. I feel like I've learned a lot from you about a culture I'm not very familiar with. Very much appreciated!
Load More Replies... This isn't suprising... it's just sad. There's Islam, modesty and then there's plain old ignorance.
Had to google this because I couldn't believe this level of bigotry could be so deeply institutionalized anywhere in 2019. I'm speechless.
And when you think Iran used to be such a free and modern country before 1979.
I would understand if they deleted male pictures too for religious reasons. But this way it looks like women are inferior to men by definition (whose??). Too sad.
In Islam a woman is literally worth half a man, both in monetary value and as a witness in court. But that isn't what this censorship is about. The shape of a woman's body is considered pornographic and Iranian modesty laws say it should be disguised with loose clothing. Men also have to obey modesty laws and are not allowed to show naked flesh or have bold hairstyles, which might be why some of the men are also censored (or it might be that it was easier to remove both figures, I'm not sure).
Load More Replies... I can imagine that these rules are strange and terrifying for people from rest of the world especially women.rules like that you can't wear whatever you want! or our terrible censorship. here women go to jail for disobeying such rules and we have so many women rights activists who fight for simple rights that we had once(40 years ago). It's not easy at all for us. some of them even pay with our life to fight with these conditions. if you like you can read a sad example in this link https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49646879
The thing that gets me is that the MUSIC in most cases is unbelievably sexy and - often - explicit! I'm guessing the censors are assuming the people listening to it don't understand any English, but that isn't a safe assumption in the world we live in. And besides, even if you don't understand the lyrics, it's clear from the music what it's about. I get why some of these are censored - they are pretty racy. But obliterating the female form altogether is the epitome of misogyny=hate of women. I find this troubling on SO MANY levels.
If you're gonna take things out of album covers, at least learn how to fu**ing use photoshop.
Weirdly inconsistent: If you stick to the Books, you will not make any images of creation --- so no cats, dogs, men, nor trees (but yes guitars?); no excuse for just cutting out women.
Showing the shape of a woman's body is considered pornography. Faces and hands are fine, but no more than a whisp of fringe and definitely no cleavage or arched back.
Load More Replies... Government should be made up of a diverse population representing all the people. But this type of censorship is deranged. It should be like a smorgasbord, the variety is there and the people can choose what best suits them. One day you will be free to choose whatever you desire! The world is rooting for your people! Stay strong!
wow, are they homosexual and scared of females? Are their females so ugly that they can't stand to see a beautiful woman because they will enter in a masturbatory rage and eventually kill themselves from exhaustion ?
All women should be removed from Iran, at least they will learn something.
This isn't islamic related is just plain stupid. It's not what actual Muslims would do. We would simply not buy it nor sell it if we don't agree with it. We wouldn't stop something someone else likes. That's just plain stupid Haram police. It's political religion, when someone uses religion to benefit their own ways and bend the meanings to suit them. We've seen Christianity being used that way too, you have the movie book of Eli that proves that same point, the Spanish inquisition, the colonial killings because they didn't want to convert to Christianity, etc. Hatred is not taught in Islam. We are not taught to hate people because they're different, or to destroy or impose our beliefs. That's politics. Not religion. That's culture. That's manipulation of the truth, to move masses to let them be passive, that's a cult.
they simply apply an islamic veil on the music. Muslims way of life...
This is male-controlled religious governance at its purest. If the far-right conservatives in the USA had their way, the USA would turn into this.
I am surprised some of this albums are even on the catalog. Many of those you can't listen to when your mom's around.
I'm glad I don't live in Iran. I couldn't bear the level of stupidity displayed by this censorship. It doesn't really matter whether the regular people are against these stupid rules or not if they do nothing to overthrow the government.
Oh , and what people can do against one of the most dangerous scary regimes in the world ...?! Do you have any idea what is going on in Iran's prisons, and how many people- activists, teachers, artists... send to jail every week...?? doing "Nothing"...?! people are you are so stupid that don't deserve being in this world. idiot.
Load More Replies... They're scared they're going to cheat. If they're kept covered and in the home they can't run off with someone else.
Load More Replies... I know many Iranians, and I assure you the average Iranian's view is not "down with the sin-causing females" but rather "Oh God, not the idiot religious loonies *again*". Although to be fair some of the censored photos actually look artistically better in a minimalist way..,
Every country and society have some form of censorship, depending on that country's and society's values and principles. Even western countries have censorship to degrees which reflect their values. So criticizing a country like Iran because of its censorship laws is silly really. How do Westerners feel when more conservative societies criticize and condemn what are perceived as Western societies' lack of moral values ? You won't like it would you ?
Do western societies photoshop women out like they don’t exist?
Load More Replies... Yer I think you have this one a bit wrong. I mean I don't think Iranians are white! So this is just racist, haven't you heard that people of colour don't do wrong things and in the highly unlikely situation they do, it's either down to racisum or it's a white persons fault!!! You keep up with the Transphobia Mr Panda and you won't be bored anymore, coz i'll be suing you for man spreading!!!!
And these 3 words would be "yeah, lalala and wooooohoooo".
Load More Replies... Poor weak men afraid to loose control by looking at femalshaped drawings. They seem really afraid of female power
Load More Replies... You could say the same for Germany in the early 1940s. ♥
Load More Replies...