On the 1st of November, Hayden Anhedönia, known professinally as Ethel Cain, released the first song from her upcoming album, Perverts, which is scheduled to drop on the 8th of January. Upon first listen, “Punish” is beautifully haunting and depressing. Regret, shame, and self-harm are themes many can relate to quite deeply, as well as being “punished by love”. Then comes the elicit horror upon realising that these sentiments are, indeed, those of a child molester.
Perversion is a device sought out by Anhedönia to examine the twisted opposite of what is acceptable reality, and “Punish” represents exactly this. The song is situated from the perspective of a man, now in exile, who has been shot by the father of a child who he had molested and performs self-mutilation to forever simulate the sting of the bullet as punishment.
The creaking swings and a sound like a ball bouncing on tarmac beneath the instrumentals paint a visceral soundscape which distorts and erupts as the paedophile’s lamentation grows more zealous. These sounds of childhood innocence are maimed and appropriated, quite graphically. It feels incredibly unsettling, as though we too are complicit; the listener can hear the scene, becoming situated in the moment of an unforgivable act. These memories taunt the singer through his remorse, again an eternal punishment for his perversion that he calls “love”.
While other songs in Ethel Cain’s discography touch explicitly on themes of sexual abuse, these have only been explored through the lens of a victim. Preacher’s Daughter also covers issues that have circulated the cultural zeitgeist and online conversations, including themes of religious and sexual trauma, patriarchal violence against women, and rural alienation. Because these themes appeal more to a wider audience, much of the weight of Cain’s story is lessened by repetitive online japes and simplifications– identified by both the artist and dedicated fans– that undermine the careful nuance and context to the story.
Online, dedicated fans prophecy that Perverts will shock the system and test the extent to which true artistry is exalted over relatability or memeability. Will these new “casual” listeners stick around now that Ethel Cain songs have become less “TikTok” friendly? This is in conversation with wider realisations regarding art consumption in the digital age. We seem to be in an epidemic of fitting the art we consume into small boxes and categories, that true artistry has been consolidated into sticking to what “sells”. Many of Anhedönia’s fans admire her dedication and unrelenting allegiance to her storytelling and, rather than grieve the polished sounds of Preacher’s Daughter, look excitedly in anticipation to this new direction that Ethel Cain is going in.
But this new song also roused questions concerning the possibility of art verging on perpetuation. Is it possible, as some have argued, that this song overly sympathises with sexual abusers? I find it possible that music, and art in general, can go too far in the wrong direction and be incredibly misconstrued to the point where it ends up vouching for the things it sought to condemn, like Nabokov’s Lolita. However, I also understand that media literacy and competency usually prevents this. One should recognise the perversion we are provided a different, unconsidered and ignored perspective on humanity. “Punish” reflects that though we condemn horrific acts as inhumane, they are still committed by humans. Perversion and remorse are a proclivity of all of mankind to varying degrees– “monstrous” acts are still human. It is an unsettling assumption of responsibility and self-actualisation that the song excites— not an endorsement or excuse for paedophilia in any way.
Still, we live in an age where undivided attention to anything has become scarce. Our days are burdened with the expectation of nonchalance. Passion, genuine interest, and indeed critical thinking about the things we encounter have all been betrayed by our lack of focus. I don’t think that the problem is that some artists’ explorations of taboo topics has necessarily gone too far, rather, the consumption and interaction with art has become astronomically shallow and popularly superficial.
“Ethel Cain at Gunnersbury Park (2023-08-20) 01” by u/ishouldgooutmore on Reddit is licensed under CC BY 4.0.