OnePlus, never one to shy away from a crazy promo opportunity, has teamed up with Finnish heavy metal monsters Lordi for its latest collaboration. However, it’s not a smartphone, a smartwatch, or a concert. It’s a song inspired by the recently launched OnePlus Nord 4, which, as you may already know, is Made of Metal.
Why the capitalization? That’s because Made of Metal is also the name of Lordi’s song, complete with the chorus, “Never Settle, Made of Metal.” Yes, that’s more deliberate capitalization, as Never Settle is OnePlus’ tagline, which also conveniently rhymes with “metal,” making the lyricist’s job nice and easy when told it had to be included somewhere in the song.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what on earth is going on, particularly if you’ve never heard of Lordi before. We introduced Lordi when OnePlus teased the collaboration, but the group is best known outside metal fandom for its imposing monster costumes and its surprise Eurovision Song Contest win in 2006. Its win at the famously pop-focused competition was unexpected, and so was its collaboration with OnePlus.
You can listen to Made of Metal on Apple Music and Spotify now, but do also take the time to watch the promo video if you can, as it is one of the maddest phone/music-related videos we’ve seen since BlackBerry execs covered REO Speedwagon’s Keep on Loving You. Where else can you see various people in monster costumes using the OnePlus Nord 4, including one employing it as a guitar pick? It’s as self-aware, campy, and amusing as you imagine — while at the same time showcasing the band’s signature look, sound, and music.
Although we got a song from the collaboration, we did not get a OnePlus X Lordi version of the OnePlus Nord 4 phone, which seems unfortunate. Lordi is correct about it, though — it is made of metal, and it’s one of the first phones in a long time to use a metal unibody. The materials and design are highlights of the phone, and we gave it a very respectable 7/10 in our review, recommending it to anyone wanting a reasonably priced, capable, and uniquely styled new phone.