Pussy Riot Announce Debut Album 'CYKA' With New Single CANDY DOPAMINE Featuring Avenged Sevenfold
Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Nikita Teryoshin
Pussy Riot have announced their debut album.
The Russian protest group will release 'CYKA', a Russian word meaning "bitch", on June 12. It was announced by founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova during a protest with Femen at last month's Venice Biennale exhibition in Italy, deliberately timed to coincide with Russia's return to the international arts event for the first time since its invasion of Ukraine.
Footage from the protest was used in the video for DISOBEY, a track from the album that was released last month. The band have now dropped another preview, CANDY DOPAMINE featuring Avenged Sevenfold, an electronic, punk-pop track that comes with a video created by Tolokonnikova, Riley Bray and John Caldwell.
The album also includes contributions from B-Real, salem ilese and, according to the press release, Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a statement released alongside the album's announcement, Tolokonnikova said:
"All these old men ruining the world right now act tough - but we see thru their fragile egos - and I’m not afraid to call them out. They are, in fact, pussies. While the world is waiting for the UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House, I challenge President Putin to a cage match. He thinks he’s so tough, but afraid of a girl? Let’s see.
"He loses? He gets the fuck out of Ukraine. The world can watch him lose to a girl, even with all his judo training. He can’t even URA anymore, but he throws the world into despair. Just like Brener in 1995 when they bombed Chechnya, and he challenged Yeltsin, now they bomb Ukraine, and I challenge Putin."
Pussy Riot were declared an extremist organisation by the Russian government last December, while Tolokonnikova was added to the country’s federal wanted list following an indictment earlier this year. Amid 14 years of activism, imprisonment and surveillance, the group have released a handful of singles, and put out their debut EP, 'Matriarchy Now', in 2022.
Avenged Sevenfold previously collaborated with Tolokonnikova on We Love You Moar, a new version of We Love You from their 2023 album 'Life Is But A Dream…'.
'CYKA' tracklist:
1. GODS LEFT
2. PAIN / БОЛЬ
3. NOTHING TO LOSE
4. CYKA [ft Vladimir Putin]
5. MURKA
6. GORE [ft B-Real]
7. CANDY DOPAMINE [ft Avenged Sevenfold]
8. FACELESS PIGS
9. UTOPIA [ft salem ilese]
10. DISOBEY
11. GOD LOVES THE FIERCE / БОГ ЛЮБИТ ЛЮТЫХ
12. CANCEL ME
13. BLIZZARD
14. OUTRO
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