Pussy Riot Debut Album CYKA Arrives June 12 with Avenged Sevenfold

Pussy Riot did not announce their debut album quietly. Nadya Tolokonnikova and the collective launched CYKA with a live protest at the Venice Biennale, timed directly to Russia's return to what is widely called the Olympics of the art world. The stunt went global. The message was not subtle, and that was the entire point.

The album drops June 12. Fourteen years of protest, imprisonment, surveillance, and exile went into it. CYKA is the record Nadya has been building toward since the "Punk Prayer" performance in 2012 landed her in a Russian prison for two years. The tracklist runs 14 songs deep, and yes, Vladimir Putin is officially credited as a contributor. Check the DSP liner notes yourself.

"Candy Dopamine" and the Avenged Sevenfold Feature

Leading into the release, Pussy Riot dropped the first single, "Candy Dopamine" featuring Avenged Sevenfold, today. It is a punk-pop collision with real emotional weight. Nadya describes it as a love and hate song aimed at prescription drug culture and the broader mental health optimization moment happening online right now. She is not judging. She is drawing from her own long-term relationship with antidepressants and treatment for PTSD and depression. The song lands honestly because of that.

The album also features B-Real on "GORE" and salem ilese on "UTOPIA," which tells you CYKA is not interested in staying in one lane.

The "DISOBEY" video was shot at the Venice Biennale during that same protest action. Watch it on YouTube.

Pussy Riot's CYKA Tracklist and Live Dates

The full tracklist: GODS LEFT, PAIN / БОЛЬ, NOTHING TO LOSE, CYKA ft Vladimir Putin, MURKA, GORE ft B-Real, CANDY DOPAMINE ft Avenged Sevenfold, FACELESS PIGS, UTOPIA ft salem ilese, DISOBEY, GOD LOVES THE FIERCE / БОГ ЛЮБИТ ЛЮТЫХ, CANCEL ME, BLIZZARD, OUTRO.

For live, Pussy Riot performs at BEYOND THE STREETS at Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris on June 20. That is the same exhibition series that has made stops in LA before, so watch for more dates. If you want to stay on top of shows hitting the city, check our [events calendar](/events).

Nadya currently lives in exile and keeps her location anonymous. The Russian Federation designated Pussy Riot an Extremist Organization in 2025. Her "POLICE STATE" performance premiered at MOCA Warehouse Los Angeles earlier this year before being shut down during nearby National Guard and anti-ICE protests. ARTNews listed it as one of the Defining Artworks of 2025.

Why This Matters for Independent Artists and Creators

For the independent creative community, the CYKA rollout is worth paying attention to beyond the music itself. The Venice Biennale protest as a press launch, the UFC cage match challenge to a sitting world leader, Putin credited on the liner notes: every element of this campaign is intentional and designed to land a specific message without a major label's playbook behind it.

Nadya has been building this without asking anyone's permission for over a decade. CYKA is the full statement. It comes out June 12.