<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">Falling flat?</h2>

Users clicking onto the video probably did not expect much. With his LED lights and home studio, the singer looks like many Gen ZShort for Generation Z, meaning people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s. TikTok artists seeking publicity from casual social media swipers. Yet the song they heard is now being described as the "anthem of a generation".

The singer is Shervin Hajipour, a 25-year-old Iranian artist who has risen to instant fame thanks to his hit single Baraye. Dedicated to recent protests across the country and posted on Instagram on 28 September, the song quickly racked up more than 40 million views. The following days, authorities took it down and arrested the musician.¹

The lyrics are compiled from Tweets written by Iranians about the country's woes, and the title, which means "for" or "because of" in FarsiAlso known as Persian, a language spoken in Iran. , is a refrain which echoes throughout the song. The opening lines declare: "For dancing on the streets/for my sister, your sister, our sisters."²

Videos show the song being sung by mutinousRebellious. schoolgirls, blared through speakers across TehranThe capital of Iran. and played on repeat at protests across the country.

According to some, this song is helping to raise the global profile of Iran's latest protests. And the more people that hear the song's lyrics, the further the protests expand.

Music theorist Mariusz Kozak has his own explanation for this phenomenon. Where rational arguments might not be fully understood, he argues, the emotions roused by a melody help to bring people together, creating a "powerful social bond".

Some of the subtleties of lyrics such as "for never experiencing this moment", inspired by the crash of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in 2020,³ may be lost on listeners. Nonetheless, it is impossible not to be moved by the ballad.

Protest music is a long and proud global tradition. During protests following the death of George Floyd, Lean on Me by Bill Withers came to express the mood of the masses. Anti-war anthems such as John Lennon's Imagine and Zombie by the Cranberries remain popular today. Yet even the artists of these songs have expressed doubt that a song can really change the world.

Yes: This song has hit a chord that no other song from Iran has ever hit. It has not only inspired people in the country to fight for their own happiness, but it has also helped to raise consciousness about Iran's issues far beyond its borders.

No: We cannot use this song to judge whether or not the protest is "going global". A song is like a trend - people connect to it for as long as it is catchy and stays on their social media feed, but it will not live long enough to sustain these protests.

Or... Music can contribute to a movement, and raising awareness outside of Iran is important, but what power can a song ultimately have against a repressive regime?

Gen Z - Short for Generation Z, meaning people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Farsi - Also known as Persian, a language spoken in Iran.

Mutinous - Rebellious.

Tehran - The capital of Iran.