Russian pro-war singer releases AI music video showing exiled opposition figures singing his song

Russian pro-war popstar Shaman, who gained notoriety for his Kremlin-sanctioned propaganda songs following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has published an AI-generated music video depicting a choir of exiled opposition figures singing his new song “Mother Russia”.

In a post promoting the single on Telegram, Shaman, whose real name is Yaroslav Dronov, said that while anti-war figures “speak out against Russia for money abroad, in my music video they sing for Russia for free.”

Among the figures whose likenesses appear in the video are popular YouTuber and journalist Yury Dud, political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann, rapper Noize MC, and television presenter and comedian Maxim Galkin.

Shaman’s previous songs include tracks such as “Let’s Stand Up”, “Straight to the Heart”, and “I’m Russian”, each of which has been streamed millions of times across online platforms. In 2024 the Kremlin awarded him the honorary title Merited Artist of the Russian Federation.

The late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny said in 2024 that prison authorities at the Arctic penal colony where he was being held played Shaman’s “I’m Russian” every morning, immediately after the national anthem.