Pussy Riot have announced a new EP called Panic Attack, due out next week — March 11th. As a preview of the impending release, they’re sharing “Sexist”, a bold new single featuring fellow Russian rapper Hofmannita, which comes with an unforgettable NSFW music video. Stream it below.
“Sexist” is the second single Pussy Riot have shared from Panic Attack, following “Toxic”, their collaboration with Dorian Electra and 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady. Produced by White Punk and Count Baldor, “Sexist” is a dark electro-pop hip-hop song about the severity of rape culture. Pussy Riot and Hofmannita take turns telling the fictional story of a heroine being invited to a hotel room by a male governmental official, being harassed, and, unable to escape, murdering him in self-defense.
Consider shielding your screen before hitting play on the song’s music video. In the NSFW clip, various nude men pose as pieces of furniture while the singers casually push them around with collars and whips. Peppered throughout is plenty of latex apparel, BDSM positioning, and generally regal decor.
According to Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova, the video is meant to inverse the main premise of the patriarchal culture. “Instead of women and queer people being objectified and serving as furniture, we use sexist pigs as furniture,” she said in a statement. “The video does not encourage to oppress anyone, but rather satirically highlights arbitrary and absurd nature of any oppression.”
Last month, Pussy Riot released a standalone political track called “Rage”. They’ve long used their platform as a band to advocate for equality and an end to police brutality, but their new music sounds more heated than ever before, likely because so little has changed over the past decade since they first crossed over into the American music scene. Luckily, their powerful streak of new music won’t end with Panic Attack. As the press release notes, they’re already focusing on dropping their long-awaited debut album (!) later this year.
