Ke$ha's new single is being pulled from US radio stations in the wake of the Newtown school shootings. Die Young, which had been at No 3 in the Billboard singles charts, is now being dropped from playlists across the States.
"You're never hurt by what you don't play," Rich Minor, the programming director of the Connecticut station WDAQ, told Billboard. His station, based in Danbury, 11 miles from Sandy Hook elementary school, is "completely done" with Ke$ha's song. "We've been playing it before Friday but not since," he said. "Even though it's a fun pop/dance record about seizing the moment, all people are going to hear right now is those two words in the title."
At the time of Friday's tragedy, Die Young was reaching about 167 million American radio listeners, TMZ reported. By Monday, that figure had dropped by at least 19 million – "plummeting", according to the New York Post. TMZ claimed it to be the fastest drop in popularity since the Dixie Chicks criticised George Bush at a London gig in 2003.
Billboard was less sensationalist: although Die Young is "down 11% in plays", it reported, "the drop seems in line with its natural chart arc". And a reporter for Boston radio station WODS said that although it initially dropped Die Young, the track is now back in regular rotation.
In the UK, Die Young spent one week at No 10 before dropping off the singles charts.
