In a shady forest, playing the sanxian, a traditional Chinese instrument, Nini Zhang seemed ready to give a traditional folk performance. When she started to play, however, the song sounded suspiciously familiar. It gradually became clear that instead of playing a traditional song, she was actually playing a cover of The Cranberries’ song ‘Zombie.’ Then, all of a sudden, a heavy metal drum beat kicked in beneath the track, and the song’s vibe shifted once again.
Music Man fans who watch the video will be astonished by how Nini blended Asian folk traditions with modern metal music to create an entirely unique cover of the song. Not only is the blend of these two genres totally unique, combining the ancient and the modern, but it also makes for a completely original way to interpret the 90s rock hit. The video has pulled in over 4.3M views and many comments of praise, one viewer sharing, “I’m sure Dolores would be well impressed by this version.”
Another commenter noticed that the “traditional part really did capture the feeling of heartbreak in the song,” and I would have to agree with them. I was blown away by how, despite being so different from the original, Nini’s cover managed to capture the emotions that make it so powerful. It seemed to me that the traditional instruments captured the fragility, while the metal elements added the rage that gives the song its edge, and Nini’s style only heightened these feelings.
While Nini’s music has pulled in a large audience online over the years, Music Man readers may recognise her from elsewhere. In 2024, Nini’s music reached a broader audience when she appeared on America’s Got Talent. It’s amazing to see a crowd react to Nini’s genre-blending in real time. The shift from their nonplussed expressions as she played her gentle, traditional folk music to the entire audience jumping to their feet to cheer her as she began shredding metal-style is astonishing.
Nini Zhang’s style is a perfect example of the heights of creativity that can be reached when using some imagination and a willingness to defy convention. Despite using techniques from two very established genres of music, rich with convention in themselves, and playing an extremely well-known song, Nini Zhang was able to use her talent to bring those elements together in order to create something completely original. With her videos still rapidly receiving hundreds of thousands of views online, it seems that Nini’s stunning talent will continue to be appreciated for a long time to come.