A Flip on Patriarchal Views

When looking for music and artists that push the boundaries of social norms and progressive spaces, one of the groups that should be on everyone’s minds is Pussy Riot. The Russian female led artists inject themes of feminism, support for the LGBT community and anti-authoritarian sentiments, particularly against Vladimir Putin and the Russian state. These messages tend to poke the bear back home and abroad, most famously when a concert in a Moscow cathedral was considered sacrilegious and two members were arrested and held for almost two years. Nearly a decade and several albums later the group still invokes their activist priorities. The new album reads as a matriarchal manifesto. 

Matriarchy Now is a short breezy listen with no shortage of fun electronic pop beats with provocative lyrics to draw you in. Many of their songs present a flipped perspective on traditional gender roles as set by the patriarchy. The opening track, “Princess Charming” takes the first steps to picture that new order. The concept that fairy tale stories and the retelling of them from corporations like Disney perpetuate the idea of women being passive characters in these stories, a prize to be won. In later songs such as “Plastic,” the band compares women to a trophy, a present and toys when describing how women are often seen as objects. Pussy Riot and their collaborator Salem Ilese, known for her 2020 song “Mad at Disney,” assert that they are changing the plot and define themselves as the savior of the story. 

Each song builds off this initial thesis, for instance, “Punish” and “Sugar Mommy” flips the script on power dynamics in multiple ways. “Punish” is a much more violent song despite being just as bright tonally as the rest of the album including phrases such as “I’ma be your boss, you’ll be licking my boots.” Licking boots being a colloquialism for attempting to please authority no matter the consequence in an attempt to improve their own stake. It is usually used when one excuses actions of an authority figure abusing a power imbalance. A power imbalance that over centuries has worked to keep men and the patriarchy in control of most societal structures. Pussy Riot continues by urging the listener to “Let me hit you with this feminist whip,” and to submit to them, leaning into a more sexual side of their music. 

 The sexual nature to their music can be seen throughout their album. One look at titles such as “Horny” and “Hatefuck” offers a clear idea of how prominent these themes are. Both are songs about a sexual need, to fill a metaphorical hole inside, or to release an anger so strong the only answer is action. “Sugar Mommy,” as earlier described, is inherently changing the roles of a power dynamic. This time taking pride in the financial and sexual power the singer finds herself in; making the lustful points of the songs a deliberate choice to sexualize themselves. And if anything is consistent about this album, it is how the artists relish in taking control of their own lives and bodies.