Biography

Feminist performance art collective Pussy Riot made international headlines in 2012 after members were arrested and imprisoned for protesting the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin and perceived corruption in the Russian Orthodox church. Initially known for playing lo-fi punk rock and staging impromptu protest performances, the group eventually started touring internationally, and expanded their music to incorporate left-field pop, dance, and hip-hop. During the early 2020s, they released collaborations with Tom Morello, Dorian Electra, and Big Freedia, and their mixtape Matriarchy Now appeared in 2022. The group formed in Moscow in August 2011 as an offshoot of the performance/street art group Voina, in response to government policies that discriminated against women. A rotating amalgamation of approximately ten to twenty members, Pussy Riot disguised themselves with pseudonyms and brightly colored dresses and balaclavas as they staged guerrilla-style performances in public spaces. Influenced by American riot grrrl and Oi! bands as well as Bulgarian-French philosopher and cultural theorist Julia Kristeva, the collective's musical performances combine politically charged lyrics chanted against abrasive guitar riffing, almost always running under two minutes. Pussy Riot attracted international attention after their February 2012 performance at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, where they took to the altar for about 30 seconds and begged in a mock prayer for the Virgin Mary to take Putin out of power, leading to the arrest of members Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and the fleeing of an additional two members. In mid-August 2012, the three women were each sentenced to serve two years in a penal colony. The case's combination of censorship and severe response by authorities compelled Russian allies like Garry Kasparov and international figures and organizations from Kathleen Hanna to Paul McCartney to Amnesty International to speak out in support of the collective. Samutsevich was released on a suspended sentence in October, and Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were freed under a general amnesty in December 2013, which Putin claimed was drafted to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's post-Soviet constitution. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova formed the independent media outlet Mediazona several months after their release. Pussy Riot occasionally released Russian-language songs and videos during the first half of the 2010s, and were the subject of the books Pussy Riot! A Punk Prayer for Freedom (2012) and Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot (2014), as well as the 2013 documentaries Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer and Pussy versus Putin. Another documentary, Death to Prison, Freedom to Protest, was released in 2014. The band's first English-language song and video, "I Can't Breathe," appeared in early 2015. Starting in 2016, Pussy Riot became more prolific as a recording act, as their music shifted away from lo-fi punk, embracing hip-hop and dance-pop. They released the EP xxx, which included the songs "Make America Great Again" (accompanied by a Trump-themed dystopian video) and "Straight Outta Vagina," featuring Desi Mo and Leikeli47. Their singles "Police State" (2017), "Bad Apples" (with Dave Sitek, 2018), and "Track About Good Cop" (2018) spoke out against corruption in the criminal justice system. The group's first North America tour took place in 2018. In 2019, they released hip-hop tracks such as "Black Snow" (with Mara 37) and "Hangerz" (with Junglepussy and Vic Mensa), written in response to Alabama's anti-abortion legislation. "1312," a rap-metal track with Dillom and Muerejoven, appeared in 2020. Pussy Riot also issued the singles "Knife" and "Riot," and appeared on Dorian Electra's single "My Agenda," along with the Village People. Pussy Riot teamed up with Dorian Electra once again for 2021's "Toxic," produced by 100 gecs' Dylan Brady. The group released the singles "Rage," "Sexist," and "Panic Attack," and additionally issued collaborations with Tom Morello, MARINA, Our Lady Peace, WhoKilledXIX, and others. The EP Rage Remixes included Boys Noize's remix of the title track. Neon Gold released Pussy Riot's 2022 mixtape Matriarchy Now, which included guests such as Big Freedia, iLoveMakonnen, and Slayyyter. ~ Chrysta Cherrie & Paul Simpson, Rovi