Pussy Riot enlist Dorian Electra and 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady for “Toxic”

The song appears on Pussy Riot’s upcoming EP, out this spring.

February 23, 2021

Nadya Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian group and political activists Pussy Riot, has teamed up with Dylan Brady of 100 gecs and like-minded electro-pop provocateur Dorian Electra for a new single titled "Toxic." Unlike the Riot's DIY punk anthems that caught the oppressive gaze of Vladimir Putin, "Toxic" is a disjointed mosh of nu-metal and rave. In the flash-filled music video, streaming above, Tolokonnikova recreates a hellish entrapment.

ADVERTISEMENT

"'Toxic' is political, because personal is political," Nadya Tolokonnikova wrote in a statement. "The single reflects on the importance of self-care, cherishing your mental health and staying away from relationships that poison you. A few years ago I went through an emotionally abusive relationship (that ended up being physically abusive, too - I was being held against my will in a house we lived in).

ADVERTISEMENT

"The best way to process trauma for me is via creating art, that's why we wrote 'Toxic' with Dorian and Dylan. Besides music, I use other tools to convince others to put their mental health first, train themselves to recognize emotional violence and leave abusive relationships ASAP.

Pussy Riot enlist Dorian Electra and 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady for “Toxic”