Aus Artist's Music Video 'Banned' By Major US Network

Aussie country singer Melody Moko has made waves with her new music video for Jesus Year, the second single from her third album, Suburban Dream, out this Friday. 

The uncensored music video – which premieres today exclusively on Countrytown – was produced and directed by Jazmyn and subsequently banned on a major US network. Check out the clip here.

"I was shocked because when we created this clip, Jazmyn, my manager Kaz and I wanted to make a powerful visual message to support the track, which is a song about rebirth after a mental health crisis, so in including 'that scene,' we believe we were representing the intensity of how that situation feels," Moko told The Music. Jesus Year explores post-natal depression following the birth of Moko's third child.

She added, "I never assumed it would be considered gory! I also strongly support art without censorship. Being part of a genre and a wider industry that visually represents the objectification of women and sexism in music videos regularly, I am quite taken aback that a bit of fake blood causes a video to be banned."

To get the video played in the US, Moko says, "We had to remove the scene entirely and replace it with footage from elsewhere in the clip; I still think the message is there, it just doesn't impact in the way I think it could have."

Produced by Neilson Hubbard, Michael Moko, Melody Moko, Dylan Alldredge, and Juan Solorzano, Jesus Year is equal parts hopeless and hopeful; when you hit rock bottom, the resulting rebirth brings with it renewed hope, and this song was written to celebrate both the upward trajectory and honour the trials and tears it took to make it there. 

Moko offered, “Suburban Dream was born from darkness and depression; the record is a diary entry into what it looks like to hit rock bottom and documents both the downfall and the recovery; it’s equal parts hopeful and hopeless.”

The album follows her wildly successful release, Two Kids and A Radio, which saw Melody Moko bring home a QMA Award, a Golden Guitar Award and a nomination for the prestigious Australian Music Prize. She described Two Kids and A Radio as “the MA version, the indie film, the nude scenes, the gross things and the stuff that makes listeners uncomfortable but needs to be said.”

Watched the uncensored music video to Jesus Year here.