Pussy Riot announce debut album ‘Cyka’ while challenging Vladimir Putin to a “cage match”
The Russian protest group Pussy Riot have announced their debut album Cyka, while also challenging the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, to a “cage match”.
Cyka, which translates to English as “bitch”, comes as the first studio effort from the collective.
However, with the announcement that Cyka is shortly set to arrive on June 12th, Pussy Riot paired the news with the release of a new single, ‘Candy Dopamine’, which was recorded with Avenged Sevenfold.
Regarding the single, the band’s leader Nadya Tolokonnikova said (via Louder Sound): “This song is kind of a love and hate song to prescription and designer drug culture,” before adding, “It started with my dependence on antidepressants, but it’s also looking at everyone now, mentalhealthmaxxing and looksmaxxing via pills and injections.”
However, more notably on the album as a whole, Putin appears in the credits for the tracks, with Tolokonnikova saying, “I’m not gonna give him royalties though, they can add it to my list of crimes.”
It comes after Pussy Riot were labelled an extremist organisation by the Russian government last December and Tolokonnikova herself landing on the country’s federal most wanted list following an indictment last month.
Despite this, the band have a new challenge for their presidential nemesis. “All these old men ruining the world right now act tough, but we see through their fragile egos, and I’m not afraid to call them out,” the leader said, adding, “They are, in fact, pussies. While the world is waiting for the UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House, I challenge President Putin to a cage match.”
She continued: “He thinks he’s so tough, but afraid of a girl? Let’s see. He loses? He gets the fuck out of Ukraine. The world can watch him lose to a girl, even with all his judo training.”
Pussy Riot’s long-term mantra has been fiercely opposing the Russian government and its policies, including its treatment of LGBTQ+ people and its links to the Orthodox Church.
Most recently, the collective staged a protest at Venice Biennale, blocking access to Russia’s pavilion while shouting “Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!”
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