Jafar Panahi Iran. In April 2011 Time Magazine named Panahi number 3 in their list of the Top 10 Persecuted Artists who have challenged authority. In Spring 2011, Boston's American Repertory Theater and System of a Down's Serj Tankian dedicated their production of "Prometheus Bound" to Panahi and seven other activists, stating in program notes that "by singing the story of Prometheus, the God who defied the tyrant Zeus by giving the human race both fire and art, this production hopes to give a voice to those currently being silenced or endangered by modern-day oppressors". On 26 October 2012, Panahi was announced
Chained to the Rhythm after she heard his track "Lions" and wanted to collaborate with him. After the two spoke in January 2017, he "delivered the message that I had to deliver" while recording the track, describing it as "one of unification and love". On February 8, 2017, in a promotional campaign for "Chained to the Rhythm," disco balls playing the song were left in various international cities. Capitol Records released the song for download two days later as the album's lead single and onto American radio stations on February 14. The song earned over three million streams within twenty-four hours of its Spotify