A recent proposal in the European Parliament has sparked debate over the potential ban of the viral hit “Sigma Boy”. EU member Nela Riehl, from the radical political movement Volt, drew attention to the song’s alleged promotion of pro-Russian and patriarchal worldviews.
“Sigma Boy is a viral Russian language image that spreads on social media and conveys patriarchal and pro-Russian thought patterns”Riehl stated.
The song’s popularity among young people is only an example of Russia’s increasing influence through social media, the MEP emphasized, calling on the European Union to counter such attempts at “cultural influence”. She also referred to a statement by the Ukrainian Culture Minister, who noted that cultural heritage encompasses not only history and museums, but also the Ukrainian language, music and contemporary Ukrainian influencers. Russia, he claimed, is trying to influence all of these.
The comments sparked a wave of criticism online, with users expressing skepticism towards Riehl’s interpretation of the song and labeling her criticism as overblown. Some commentators accused her of focusing too much on trivial matters like children’s songs.
The song, performed by 11-year-old Swetlana Tchertischtschewa and 12-year-old Marija Jankowskaja, recently reached the 10th place in the Billboard Hot Dance/Pop Charts. The two girls, who have become international stars on TikTok, Spotify and other platforms, have garnered over 63 million views on TikTok and nearly 100 million clicks on YouTube. The song, initially released in October 2024, has since gained popularity among adults as well.
Michail Tchertischtschew, the father of one of the girls and the song’s producer, expressed pride over the song’s success. “It’s an incredible story. unexpected for them”he told RT. For the young artists, the song’s popularity on social media is more important than its chart performance. For his generation, it was a dream to land in foreign music charts, but the new generation values things like 1.5 million TikTok appearances or a Shazam ranking much more, he explained.