Bryan Adams at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in Toronto on Sept. 24, 2022.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
He is a multiaward-winning rocker and one of Canada’s bestselling songwriters. She is the former bass player for Mad June, an alternative rock band from Montreal, and the federal government’s Heritage Minister.
Bryan Adams and Pascale St-Onge have been gently sparring on social media over what should count officially as a Canadian song.
Mr. Adams has spoken out after 30 years on the matter, saying he fears a modernized definition of a Canadian song may shut out artists like him who collaborate internationally.
“Canadian music is global. It’s time the government recognizes that,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday, with a message framed with clips of him performing live, which he also posted on Instagram.
Mr. Adams, whose hits include Summer of ‘69 and Run to You, added: “Hey Justin Trudeau, music is global! And the rules need to change with the times.”
He said he has recorded with musicians and producers from around the world, and accused the government of wanting to “penalize multiculturalism.”
Ms. St-Onge swiftly replied to the rock star telling him “don’t worry,” and hinting he could take part in forthcoming consultations on a fresh definition of Canadian content (meanwhile revealing that she is a “big fan.”)
She told Mr. Adams that the “new definition of CanCon isn’t yet decided by the CRTC so you can still participate in shaping it!”
Her predecessor Pablo Rodriguez asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to update the definition – including what would qualify a Canadian song – under the Online Streaming Act, which passed last year. The CRTC plans to consult and hold hearings on the matter this winter.
The Online Streaming Act will require streaming platforms including Spotify to promote Canadian music and make Canadian artists’ music easier to find online.
Ms. St Onge, who also sang backup vocals in Mad June, has expressed the need to support artists at various stages of their career, including budding musicians and local bands.
“This modernized system being implemented by the CRTC won’t prioritize certain artists or songs – it just helps create more music in Canada,” she told Mr. Adams on social media.
“We’re helping to support the next generation of Bryan Adams in succeeding here and around the world, but we still need the original too.”
Mr. Adams said the new rules for music on streaming services are aimed at making sure “Canadian artists get a fair share on radio and on streaming.” But he warned that “if an artist decides to work with collaborators from other countries, then those songs might not be considered Canadian. And if songs aren’t Canadian enough, they might not be prioritized on streaming services.”
Mr. Adams was born in Canada and grew up in Vancouver, releasing his first top 10 album Cuts Like a Knife in 1983. But several of his songs currently don’t qualify as Canadian because he collaborated with international artists or because they were recorded abroad.
In order to qualify as Canadian, a song must meet two of the following criteria: the music or lyrics must be performed principally by a Canadian; it must consist of a live performance recorded wholly in Canada, or performed wholly in Canada and broadcast live in Canada; or the lyrics must be written entirely by a Canadian.
Mr. Adams’s song Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman was partly written and produced by an American and a South African. It was also recorded at A&M studios in the United States, so is unlikely to qualify as Canadian; nor would It’s Only Love which was partly performed with Tina Turner, and recorded at A&M studios in the U.S. His album Waking Up The Neighbours, which includes the No. 1 hit (Everything I Do) I Do For You, which has had 595 million listens on Spotify, also may not count as Canadian.