THE DROP
Pussy Riot just dropped “Candy Dopamine” featuring M. Shadows and Avenged Sevenfold, the lead single from their debut album *Cyka* dropping June 12 *†. The track mixes pop hooks with heavy riffs while Nadya Tolokonnikova unpacks her own dependence on antidepressants and the culture of “mentalhealthmaxxing” through pills *†.
WHAT TO KNOW
- First full-length from Pussy Riot after 14 years of protest, imprisonment, and exile — 14 tracks to match †
- M. Shadows guests on vocals; album also features B-Real and Salem Ilese *†
- Vladimir Putin is listed as a contributor on the self-titled track but gets zero royalties †
- Tolokonnikova describes it as exploring prescription and designer drug culture without judgment, rooted in her long-term relationship with medication for PTSD and depression *†
- Pussy Riot was designated an extremist organization by Russia in 2025; Tolokonnikova lives in exile *
THE TAKE
Pop hooks meeting Avenged Sevenfold riffs with Tolokonnikova’s unflinching honesty about antidepressant dependence — that’s a combination with actual weight behind it. Putin gets a credit but no money, which is the kind of middle finger this band was built for.