Swede Felix Kjellberg, known as the YouTube king PewDiePie, has ignited Twitter by teasing fans with a promise to release a third track inspired by his battle for supremacy with Indian record label T-series.
Although PewDiePie’s two previous diss tracks against the Bollywood media corporation have been banned by an Indian court, he floated the idea of making a new one, talking to Indian comedian Saiman Says. Recognising that his presence would probably be unwelcome in the country in the wake of his year-long rivalry with T-Series, he vowed to go there and even shoot a redemption song – “a sad 'I'm sorry India' song, like a ballad".
The promise, which could be yet another joke from the Swede, did not go down quite so well with some netizens, who called him a racist and told him to keep away from India.
PewDiePie keep away from India. Do not need your redemption song at all. Apologies not accepted
— Govind S. Welling (@GovindWelling) May 5, 2019
After knowing what charity and congratulations can become filled with filthy vulgar racist language, we doubt sorry will be just an excuse for more negativity and hatred.
— Best of Indian Products (@ProductsIndian) May 3, 2019
Please keep away from India.
He is such a shitty person who is just care about numbers and constantly passiny his racists slurs against Indians…
— ☠ ❁ ☠ (@llMrRobotll) May 4, 2019
Others were sceptical about his motives.
https://t.co/1HstbXkycN
— Ben (@cocoayoc) May 5, 2019
i bet Pewdiepie is only doing this because he lost. if he still were ahead of Tseries he wouldn't care about redemption
Some, however, welcomed the idea…
I hope he does visit India and record a "Sorry" song. He obviously feels like he upset some Indian fans and wants a chance to reverse that. How stubborn are you that you won't even allow the man redemption?
— Sqwitter (@Sqwitter) May 3, 2019
…or defended PewDiePie, admitting that he was right, in a way, referring to the political turmoil in India.
"Indians are poo poo in their brains"@pewdiepie was actually correct and not racist. If you don't trust me look at the situation and standard of Indian politics.
— Ashish Kumar Singh (@AshishK23823883) May 6, 2019
Competing with the Bollywood media giant for the title of YouTube’s most subscribed channel, PewDiePie issued two diss clips mocking the Indian powerhouse titled Bi**h Lasagna and Congratulations, which T-Series and many netizens claimed were offensive.
The latter track, which mocked India’s caste system and “crippling poverty”, includes the following lyrics: “Did you know that Indians have poo-poo in their brains? That's a blatant racist lie. Yeah, but still not defamation!”
READ MORE: T-Series Mocked for Unleashing Full Legal Battle Against PewDiePie 'Having Fun'
The Delhi High Court even ruled to remove both this viral song as well as Pewds’ other diss track from India’s YouTube in response to a complaint by T-Series claiming that they contained "repeated comments which are abusive, vulgar and also racist in nature".
PewDiePie has had the most subscribed channel since 2013, but has since been repeatedly overtaken by T-Series, who entered the race several months ago after witnessing a massive surge in its follower base last year due to the country’s expanding Wi-Fi service. Following his half-a-year-long battle, the blogger announced the end of the meme campaign "Subscribe to PewDiePie", as it had been tarnished by the defacement of a World War II memorial and the Christchurch mosque massacre.
