Hurray for the Riff Raff shared their first new single and music video of 2025 on February 20. Arriving just before the one-year anniversary of bandleader Alynda Segarra’s memoiristic opus The Past Is Still Alive—which appeared on numerous outlets’ Best of 2024 lists, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, Slate, NPR Music, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, OUT, PAPER, Garden & Gun, Bitter Southerner, Paste, Stereogum, Mojo, Uncut, and more—“Pyramid Scheme” embodies that record’s spirit of resilience and rebellion. Filled with poetic prowess and personal truths, the song conveys a contempt for the dark side of the Internet and the alienating, undermining effects it has on artists and outsiders. “And you can paint your portal on the wall with the intention to break through,” sings Alynda Segarra (they/them). “But every time you bang your head against it, tiny little pieces fall out of you.” You can hear the song watch the video, animated by Jayla Kai Smith, here:

Lyrical nods to Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane, Darby Crash, and Frida Kahlo (in a black ski mask) are wrapped in melodies and arrangements that are equal parts scrappy and saccharine, backed by Phil Cook on organ, Yan Westerlund on drums, Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on electric guitar, and The Past Is Still Alive producer Brad Cook on bass.