Mehdi Rajabian is considered a dangerous criminal In Iran: he’s been arrested several times, spent months in solitary confinement, and is closely monitored by the government while under house arrest. His offense? Creating music with female vocalists. “In Iran, women can’t sing and it’s prohibited,” Rajabian explains over text message. “Prison and prohibition have caused Iranian artists to be afraid to be [on] my album, and I say they are right.” But fear hasn’t stopped Rajabian, 31, from moving forward: This week, his second album, Coup of Gods, arrives on streaming services Friday with appearances from two female American singers, despite the fact that the Iranian government has repeatedly warned him not to release it for the past two years.