Massive Attack is continuing their longtime commitment to activism, this time performing South Korean anti-establishment song “Regret of the Times” at their concert, NME reports. Massive Attack recently kicked off their tour in Finland at the Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, and they have continued to cover the song at all of their live shows since.
Originally by South Korean group Sea Taiji and Boys, “Regret of the Times” expresses resentment towards corruption and acts as an outcry for revolution. The 1993 song was originally written in light of two tragedies in South Korea: the collapse of the Seongsu Bridge and the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store. Together, the two disasters killed over 500 people, with many blaming corporations for cutting corners and prioritizing profits. Over the years, the song was adopted into a protest song in South Korea, with its lyrics calling for an end to broken systems of power.
After performing the track for the first time on opening night, Massive Attack posted footage of the cover online and shared their admiration for Seo Taiji, hailing him as a “K-pop progenitor whose work defied state censorship while creating a global genre.”
The post goes on to explain how, in 1995, the South Korean Public Performance Ethics Committee demanded that Taiji change the “anti-censorship lyrics” to the song, but the band refused. Because of the intense amounts of fan outrage and public activism in support of the band, the government was forced to drop its “pre-censorship” system for music entirely. In this way, frontman Robert Del Naja shares in the post, the song “took on an authoritarian government and won.”
Now, Massive Attack is sharing how the song is still relevant today, arguing: “In 2026, as corporate absorption and the censorship of artists for political expression looms large again, it resonates as a signal lesson.”
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
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