Ethel Cain has unveiled “Punish,” the first single from her upcoming album, Perverts, which is set for release on January 8th, 2025.
The sparse, haunting, piano track is nearly seven minutes long, and the accompanying black-and-white music video offers eerie vignettes consistent with the Southern Gothic aesthetic established in 2022’s Preacher’s Daughter. As the song continues, the sound gradually builds, incorporating charged guitars and increasing the volume until the energy is all-encompassing.
“Shame is sharp, and my skin gives so easy/ Only God knows, only God would believe/ That I was an angel, but they made me leave,” she sings.
In a statement about the song, she mused, “I wonder how deep shame can run, and how unforgivable an act could be that I may still justify it in some bent way to make carrying it more bearable. Would I tell myself it’s not my fault and I couldn’t help myself? Would anyone truly believe that? Would I?”
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In between 2024 performances at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, Cain spent the last year recording the album between Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and Tallahassee, Florida.
