German New Wave pop group Nena will embark on summer time European tour. (Picture by RB/Redferns)
The suspected Chinese language spy balloon – which Beijing maintains is a rogue climate balloon – has led to a critical diplomatic disaster, and even resulted in U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a weekend journey to China. Whereas the Pentagon has mentioned the balloon poses no menace to the US, Blinken known as the alleged surveillance an “irresponsible act” and a “clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and worldwide legislation.”
The balloon’s presence over the US has added to already rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, and each Democratic and Republican lawmakers had been seen to be fairly hawkish on China on Friday. Questions have been requested about why efforts weren’t made to shoot down or in any other case deliver down the balloon.
Nonetheless, the timing of the incident might be seen as excellent news for the German New Wave pop group Nena, which already had plans for a summer time European tour. Because the balloon was first noticed over the US, its largest (and solely U.S.) hit track, “99 Lufballons” is all of a sudden racking up views on YouTube. As well as, the track is all of a sudden getting renewed consideration throughout social media.
The official music video posted to YouTube had few feedback for months, however since Thursday has seen an enormous uptick, with hundreds now providing their opinions and ideas. The identical is true of the English-language model – retitled “99 Crimson Balloons,” which was launched in the US a 12 months later. Although not a direct translation of the German unique, it shares an analogous anti-war theme.
Although the sudden curiosity will not probably be sufficient to get both of the movies within the coveted Billions View Membership, it actually might assist deliver renewed consideration for Nena because it prepares to tour once more.
The Level Of The Music
A number of on social media had apparently missed the purpose of the track. That included Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), who tweeted a number of the lyrics of the track on Friday night, suggesting that actions needs to be taken.
Greene is amongst those that appeared to not have learn the lyrics!
“99 Lufballons” had reportedly come about after Nena’s guitarist Carlo Karges had seen balloons being launched over a Rolling Stones live performance in West Berlin in 1982, whereas the band additionally cited an article from the Las Vegas Overview-Journal about 5 highschool college students who had tried to play a prank by launching 99 balloons to simulate a UFO.
The track truly tells the story of how 99 balloons is launched, leading to an apocalyptic conflict!
“Folks do not perceive the irony of the track whenever you juxtapose the peppy music with the precise lyrics,” defined Matthew J. Schmidt, affiliate professor of political science on the College of New Haven. “That is truly a protest track in regards to the putting of American missiles in Europe throughout the Chilly Warfare and the danger it poses for a nuclear holocaust.”
But, the track is trending as there are calls to shoot down the Chinese language balloon.
“It’s humorous when you think about within the case of the Chinese language balloon, the U.S. navy did not need to shoot it down, as a consequence of a minor threat of escalation,” added Schmidt. “That’s the antithesis of what the track is supposing as a result of the music is taking part in at this concept that you’ve got these ‘Captain Kirks’ taking off of their fighter jets and beginning a nuclear conflict with out considering the associated fee. This results in the town in ashes on the finish of the track.”
