Punish (song)
"Punish" is a song by the American singer-songwriter and record producer Ethel Cain, from her studio recording Perverts. She released it through her own record label Daughters of Cain on November 1, 2024, as the project's lead single. She wrote, produced, recorded, and mixed the track, while Dale Becker mastered it. "Punish" is a folk, drone, ambient, and slowcore track with industrial influences. Containing experimental production, the song is led by piano and presents guitars as it gradually builds to a crescendo. Lyrically, it deals with an exploration of shame, portraying a pedophile and child molester shot by his victim's father.
Cain and Silken Weinberg directed the accompanying black-and-white music video for "Punish", which premiered on the same date as the single's release. Music critics received the song positively, many of whom considered it a strong introduction to Perverts. Commercially, it appeared on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart. Prior to its release, Cain included "Punish" in the set list for the Childish Behaviour Tour.
Background and release
Following the release of her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter, Ethel Cain began to work on a side project rather than its follow-up. In 2024, she developed the studio recording Perverts in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, and Tallahassee, Florida. Initially, it was a concept album on which she "would have explored a different character that society considers a pervert on each song", according to Stereogum Brad Sanders. However, the idea was partly scrapped and only two of the tracks written for the first concept were included on the final track listing, including "Punish".On October 14, 2024, Cain announced the release of Perverts and its lead single "Punish", after teasing visuals on social media with grainy and black-and-white pictures. She also shared the cover artwork for the single, which features Cain with a ring above her head. Her own record label Daughters of Cain, which serves as an imprint of Prescription Songs, released it on November 1, 2024, along with an accompanying dark, black-and-white music video directed by Cain and Silken Weinberg. On November 11, Cain revealed the track listing for Perverts, which includes "Punish" as the second song. Commercially, it entered the New Zealand Hot Singles chart issued for November 8, 2024, at number 29.
Composition
The single version of "Punish" is 6 minutes and 47 seconds long, while the version included on Perverts is 7 seconds shorter. Cain wrote, produced, recorded, and mixed the track, while Dale Becker was in charge of its mastering. Angel Diaz, also known as Vyva Melinkolya, played baritone and lap steel guitars. Critics have identified it as a folk, drone, slowcore, and ambient song, with elements of industrial music. Its production is in line with the project's more experimental and texture-driven style than her previous releases. Led by a slow tempo piano instrumental, the track incorporates guitars as it gradually builds to a crescendo, which is reminiscent of shoegaze. The distorted chords accompany Cain's whispered vocals. The track also incorporates the sound of a rusted swing set recorded at midnight, which Clare Martin of Paste considered as a reference to childhood.The sound of "Punish" was the subject of comparisons to various artists. Pitchfork Meaghan Garvey saw it reminiscent to Ruins by the musician Grouper, as well as the works of the singer-songwriter Midwife, who describes her music as "heaven metal". The Independent Helen Brown compared it to the late-1990s ballads by the singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, and The Fader David Renshaw interpreted it as a mix between Grouper and the singer Lana Del Rey. Additionally, Sanders drew similarities between the piano progressions of "Punish" and "Horizon", a song by the indie folk singer-songwriter Aldous Harding.
"Punish" is one of the tracks on Perverts with more focus on the lyrical content. A murder ballad, it is an exploration of shame, portraying a pedophile and child molester who self-harms after he was shot by his victim's father. According to Cain, he tries to "simulate the bullet wound" on his body. However, she stated that it could be freely interpreted. The song references Gary Plauché, a man who killed his son's rapist, Jeffrey Doucet. In a press release regarding the song, Cain stated: "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?".