Skinny for the Apocalypse/Kiirstin Marilyn is an artist and activist whose politics naturally show up in her music, including her latest protest song, “Free Luigi.” She’s an active member of NYC’s Democratic Socialists of America, which played a major role in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election, and she helps create public calls to action around climate accountability and pressure on Governor Hochul. She’s also a founding member of Red Rogue Theater, using performance as a tool for public engagement and protest, and is exploring ways to bring accessible vegan and animal rights organizing into DSA spaces.
The song began with the arrest of Briana Boston. I was incredibly frustrated by the deep and insidious hypocrisy: language that had been normalized within the “healthcare” industry that harmed (and killed) millions of people suddenly became unacceptable when it was directed back at them. What started as a response to that specific moment gradually expanded. As the song evolved, Luigi became less a specific subject and more a symbol, and the song ultimately took on the shape of a rallying cry about resistance and action. – Kiirstin Marilyn
Skinny for the Apocalypse/Kiirstin Marilyn gets lyrically deep in “Free Luigi,” and she does not shy away from exposing the major flaws of the broken system in the United States. The song opens with her singing about a government terrorizing its people: “Now they see, they should have never fucked with us. You can’t take everything from us and expect us not to break.” It mirrors what so many people are feeling right now, a clash between everyday people and the powers that be, beyond left and right.
Musically, the track is built on cinematic drums with a ukulele front and center, organic vocals that feel urgent and powerful, and bursts of horns that push the emotion even further. It is a protest song that steadily builds, designed to get people fired up and remind them of their power. Halfway through, it explodes as the full band locks in and the energy breaks open: “We see through your propaganda.” By the end, the song title “Free Luigi” becomes more than a person, turning into a symbol of government wrongdoing, corrupt systems, and billionaire power.
Listen to the song on Spotify or Bandcamp!