Mannequin Pussy Call Out Religious Hypocrisy in New Single ‘I Got Heaven’
Mannequin Pussy are back, and angrier than ever. The Philadelphia-based punk rock band released their new single “I Got Heaven” with an accompanying video directed by Mason Merce and Anthony Miralles.
“I Got Heaven” is immediately explosive, with lead singer and guitarist Marisa “Missy” Dabice screaming the opening lines, “I went and walked myself/Like a dog without a leash” and asking, “What if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch?” within the first verse. It’s intense and angry, as intended.
In a press release, Dabice explained that the anger behind the heavy guitars and her snarling voice come from “the weaponization of Christianity for political means” and the way religion is increasingly being used “as a tool to intentionally divide us.”
The chorus of “I Got Heaven,” however, contrasts the anger with a softer sound and sentiment. Dabice’s angelic vocals harmonize against synths as she shares a positive affirmation,“I got heaven inside of me.” This is also purposeful as the song was meant “to merge the sacred and the profane,” Dabice said, pointing to the crucial reminder at the center of the lyrics: “Heaven is inside of me and inside of you.”
In the video, Dabice fully embodies this goddess-like energy dancing in a corn field wearing nothing but underwear and floor-length hair extensions. It’s very Lady Godiva meets Children of the Corn as Dabice chases a group of farmers who are terrified of her radical self-love. Meanwhile, the rest of Mannequin Pussy — bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford, drummer Kaleen Reading, guitarist Maxine Steen — thrash around, performing ferociously in the rural setting.
It seems the fearless band is moving ahead at full throttle. Just last week, Mannequin Pussy bought back their masters from Tiny Engine and launched a new label, Romantic Records, through which they reissued their 2016 album Romantic. “I Got Heaven” is not just a solo single, there’s “more on the way soon” — perhaps the first album since 2019’s masterful Patience. Mannequin Pussy will be on the road too; their fall U.S. tour kicks off next week.