System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has reiterated his criticism of Imagine Dragons for their performance in Baku, Azerbaijan, despite ongoing controversies surrounding the region.
In September last year, Imagine Dragons played a concert in Azerbaijan, a move criticised by Tankian due to the country’s involvement in the 2020 invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, and its subsequent human rights violations.
Tankian’s criticisms were sparked by a recent interview with Imagine Dragons’ lead singer Dan Reynolds in Rolling Stone, where Reynolds defended his band’s decision to perform in Azerbaijan. Reynolds argued that boycotting countries with corrupt leaders or human rights issues is a “slippery slope” since such issues are global, stating, “I don’t believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments.”
In response, Tankian took to social media: “Respectfully, I draw the line at ethnic cleansing and genocide,” he wrote. He referenced the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the severe impact of Azerbaijan’s actions, supported by its government. Tankian questioned Imagine Dragons’ selective engagement, pointing out their support for Ukraine while ignoring the plight of Armenians in Artsakh, accusing them of moral hypocrisy.
“I have nothing against this guy nor his band. I just hate artists being taken advantage of to whitewash genocidal dictatorships,” he added.
Tankian, an Armenian-American, has been vocal about such issues in the past, especially those affecting his ancestral homeland, and has previously engaged in fundraising efforts for Armenians affected by the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In 2020, for example, System of a Down, whose members are all Armenian-American, regrouped to record two new songs in order to raise funds for Armenians affected by the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. “It’s a really horrible humanitarian catastrophe that needs to be addressed,” Tankian told Rolling Stone at the time.
Read Tankian’s full social media statement about Imagine Dragons below.
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