Hear SERJ TANKIAN team with Armenian rockers NEMRA on new song “I’m Afraid of Stars”

Duet with SOAD singer “a dream come true”

Armenian rock veterans Nemra are marking a banner moment in their career by releasing a new single that features one of their biggest influences: iconic System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian. Together, they’ve just issued “I’m Afraid of Stars.”

The song is a piano-driven, folk-rock-ish ballad about the passage of time, and fear for the future.

From the jump — as portrayed in the movie theatre-set video — Nemra frontman-guitarist Van Yeghiazaryan and Tankian’s vocals are entwined. Juxtaposing the sands that pass through an hourglass on the cinema screen, Tankian’s high-power tenor progressively rises towards a dramatic climax.

“This isn’t just another release—it’s a dream come true. Life is a beautiful, unpredictable journey,” the band wrote in a statement.

“When we founded Nemra, deeply inspired by System of a Down, the idea of collaborating with Serj Tankian felt like a distant, impossible dream.  But today, that dream is our reality! Serj, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. Thank you for bringing your brilliance and unique artistry to ‘I’m Afraid of Stars’.”

Nemra was founded in 2012. Ahead of officially teaming up, Tankian supported the band by plugging 2020 single “She’s Beautiful” and 2021 follow-up track “Daisy” online.

As previously reported, Tankian has had a busy year, having released both his memoirs and recent solo EP, Foundations. He likewise performed a couple of shows with System of a Down.