Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei is making a metal album, reports The Guardian.
The artist, who often protests the Chinese government’s stance on human rights and democracy in his sculptures and other installations, apparently came up with his musical ideas while he was bored during his governmental detainment in 2011.
“To tell you the truth, I never listened to music,” he told The Guardian. “Then, during my detention, the guards were so bored they kept saying to me, ‘Can you sing a song?’
“After I came out, I realized I had never really listened to music or sung, so I decided to make an album. I know so many artists and musicians and they were really supportive.”
Ai was jailed by Chinese authorities for just under 3 months in 2011 on charges of tax evasion. He worked on the 9-track album with rock musician Zuoxiao Zuzhou, who publicly supported hte activist during his time in detention.
The artist is also apparently working on something far removed from the metal tunes – an album of love songs. Ai reckons he will be calling on the help of his high-profile pal Elton John for help with releasing the tunes. John dedicated a concert in Beijing last year to Ai, prompting the Chinese government to take a harder stance on performances by foreign artists.
For now, we can be content to watch Ai Weiwei’s “rebellious” take on Gangnam Style, which has been banned by the Chinese censors, over and over again.
Watch: Ai Weiwei Does Gangnam Style
