Pussy Riot are back with a new protest song called “Riot”. The track is inspired by the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests as well as the recent arrest of Pussy Riot member Peter Verzilov, who was taken into police custody for being a “potential suspect of inciting mass riots.”
“We stand with the protesters for racial equality and justice,” says the band in a statement. “We demand to defund the police and punish killer cops.”
Musically, “Riot” goes fast — literally, as it’s less than two minutes in length, and figuratively, in terms of its structural pace. Over distorted electronic beats by Berlin-based act IXXF, Pussy Riot frontwoman Nadya Tolokonnikova can be heard calling for justice. “Yeah sex is great,” she sings, “but have you ever fucked the system?” Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify.
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Apparently “Riot” is part of “a bigger project” that Pussy Riot are working on. In a press release, the group hinted that the single is related to an upcoming studio album — a first for the band, surprisingly — which will be announced later in the year. If their previous single “1312” was any indication, it looks like the band could opt for a full-blown anti-cops theme on that release.
