As with previous installments in the action-adventure crime series, radio stations play a big part in Grand Theft Auto Online. A huge factor of what makes the open-world exploration such a pleasure is putting the pedal to the metal, burning rubber, and cruising to the many iconic tunes GTA Online has to offer. But things are about to change, as the tracklist for the popular multiplayer mode is about to get a big shakeup.
From Vice City to Los Santos, each location in the GTA universe features a variety of iconic radio stations that blare notable tunes ranging from classic oldies to hip hop and heavy metal. In some cases, these stations become the major focus point among gamers, with there being huge rumors over Grand Theft Auto 6's soundtrack.
The franchise's close ties with music are why the removal of this hit 1981 song has left fans confused, especially after the fact that GTA Online's recent expansion introduced new stations. Brought to the attention of players on the game's official subreddit, user llamanatee exposed that further inspection of Grand Theft Auto 5's soundtrack reveals that the Kano track, "Can't Hold Back (Your Lovin)," has been removed from the funk and post-disco station, Space 103.2.
FYI, Rockstar is starting to remove songs from the radio now. As of the Tuners update, the song "Can't Hold Back (Your Lovin')" by Kano from Space 103.2 has been removed. from gtaonline
No official statement has been released from Rockstar Games regarding the eradication of Kano's electronic track, with synth-beat being silently plucked from players in the acclaimed GTA Online Los Santos Tuner's update. Instead, the developers have chosen to highlight its collaborative musical efforts with labels such as CircoLoco Records, and the release of the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack album.
With that said, the cause of the removal is most likely due to music licensing, which is designed to ensure that the copyright owners of musical works are financially compensated for certain uses of their work. It's possible that Rockstar Games no longer desires to pay for the right to use "Can't Hold Back (Your Lovin)," therefore, the song cannot play in-game. Unfortunately, many fans expect that more tracks are to be cut in the future if the developer continues to not renew the copyrights. This would not be the first time Rockstar Games had drastically altered the sound of its games over permits, as Grand Theft Auto 4 infamously excluded over 15 songs because of a similar ten-year licensing deal expiring.
For any fans of the open-world game logging on to take part in its clubbing scene but long the removal of a prominent track, there are methods of expanding the collection of available music. GTA Online's latest update added collectable music tracks. These six new music mixes that can be played on a new Media Player via the Radio Wheel, once they are found and salvaged.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.