The things happening politically in Thailand recently and for the past decade are in direct contrast to the friendliness and fun that the country offers millions of visitors each year. Pyra’s latest single, ‘petrol & matches’ is unapologetically bold and defiant as the Thai MC draws on her experiences of being placed on a watch list by the military government that forced her to start a new life in London.

With powerful lyrics like, “I’ve got the system trying to break me/Like I used seven of my nine lives/All this time I’m trying to break free/In a part of me from inside,” Pyra draws from her experiences with censorship and finds strength in her resolve.

‘petrol & matches’ fights the power the best way Pyra knows how. In the song, she sings a bit of it, raps in chunks of it, and rocks a lot of it. Because we live in crazy times, on Spotify, there is a sped-up version as well as slowed + reverbed version. In the slow aka chopped and screwed version, the lyrics become even more meaningful as her vocal inflections hit the listener just a little more.

While the military government of Thailand keeps denying the will of the people on a daily basis, they must remember that the youth are standing by with ‘petrol & matches.’

Listen to Pyra’s ‘petrol & matches’ below.