In the clip, the singer deliberately wants to provoke. That’s why there is a warning in advance.
Rammstein singer Till Lindemann has once again caused a stir with his new solo single. The 60-year-old, who was recently the subject of controversy due to allegations of abuse, is also provocative with the music video for “Zunge”. We explain why the clip deserves its disclaimer at the beginning.
Till Lindemann: Self-harm and dangerous play with real tigers
The video for “Tongue” begins with a warning as we see the inside of Lindemann’s mouth and throat through an endoscope camera. It says: “The following video contains explicit content that may be disturbing to some viewers. All stunts and tricks were recorded and performed by professionals. Please do not imitate these at home. No computer or other special effects were used in the production of this material.”
If this is indeed true, the following recordings are not for the faint of heart. In the very next shot you can see in detail and close-ups how Lindemann has his mouth sewn shut. The blood flows in streams from the singer’s lips, and his face is also smeared red from top to bottom.
And then follows: Lindemann lets two real tigers lick his face. The recordings for this were taken in a circus in Moscow in 2019. Although the Leipzig native followed the instructions exactly, according to circus director Edgard Zapashny, there was a certain residual risk that Lindemann consciously accepted. Wild animals, especially predators, can attack without warning, even in a controlled environment. How severe the consequences of this can be was already seen in 2003 with the tiger attack on the deceased magician Roy Horn.
Finally, Lindemann literally gives an insight into his inner self. He inserts an endoscope camera through his mouth again, which transmits images from his esophagus to a monitor next to him.