Mandy Lee’s Cherry Bomb Delivers a Triumphant Declaration of Independence With Never Be Me (M★therf★cker)
Cherry Bomb photo by Matty Vogel
Introducing Cherry Bomb, the Los Angeles–based solo project from Mandy Lee (MisterWives). Lee kicks off the new year by stepping fully into her own with “Never Be Me (M★therf★cker),” a glitter-drenched disco-pop declaration of independence, out today via AWAL alongside a bold, fiercely celebratory music video. Maximalist, euphoric, and unapologetic, Cherry Bomb ushers in a new world rooted in rebellious femininity and radical self-expression.
Driven by buoyant synths and an instantly hooky chorus, “Never Be Me (M★therf★cker)” finds Lee shedding external validation and expectation, reveling instead in autonomy, strength, and joy. She describes the song as “a defiant Declaration of Independence dressed up in maximalist synth pop made for dancing out a loveless love.”
Reflecting on the catalyst behind Cherry Bomb, Lee shares:
“Starting this project I knew I desperately needed to reconnect with parts of myself I lost along the way and NBM was the catalyst to reclaiming my power, saying farewell to spaces that made me shrink while welcoming back the energy of the little girl who once wore boas routinely, blasting “You Don’t Own Me” through a bedazzled boombox. This song has become a mantra in learning to let go of old painful patterns and letting in the pleasure of self I once abandoned for the love and acceptance of others.“
The high-energy video—co-directed by Lee and longtime collaborator Matty Vogel (Billie Eilish, 30 Seconds To Mars, MisterWives)—unfolds on an outdoor track, where Lee appears in a wedding dress surrounded by women clad in oversized, vibrantly colored gowns. The visual captures a symbolic release from the past as Lee charges forward with resilience, elegance, and renewed hope. Created entirely independently with the help of friends, the video stands as a testament to community-driven artistry.
A celebration of girlhood and empowered creation, Lee adds: “I couldn’t be prouder of what we pulled off especially at a time when music videos feel increasingly more extinct with the ever growing pressures artists face to focus their energy and resources on short form “content”.
This project was an absolute labor of love and a closet full of old tulle celebrating the very girlhood that’s kept me afloat, inspired, and connected during what could have been an isolating start to this new chapter. Visually, it’s a colorful, opulent ode to liberation — told through the lens of a group of runaways starting over. It’s about refusing to settle for a comfortable hell when an uncomfortable heaven is just at the finish line.“
For more than a decade, Mandy Lee has fronted alt-pop favorites MisterWives, captivating audiences worldwide through extensive touring, major festival appearances, and a catalog that includes four studio albums, a live album, and a deluxe release. With Cherry Bomb, Lee begins a new chapter—building a sonic universe that is wholly her own, where dancefloor exhilaration meets emotional depth.
This is only the beginning. “Never Be Me (M★therf★cker)” is out now via AWAL. Follow Cherry Bomb on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to join the journey.
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About Cherry Bomb
Mandy Lee is stepping into her power with Cherry Bomb — a fierce, glitter-soaked solo project born from rebellion, heartbreak, and radical self-expression. Best known as the powerhouse frontwoman of MisterWives, Lee uses Cherry Bomb to break free from expectation and confront everything from religious trauma to industry misogyny with bombastic flair and emotional depth.
Lee lights on the fuse on her first single, the space disco banger “Never Be Me,” about shedding a loveless love. She says, “I came home that night from working on the song and just had it blasting in my headphones, dancing around my house alone. It just felt so cathartic.”
Inspired by icons like Madonna and Blondie, the music fuses space disco, punk spirit, and diary-like confessionals into a sound that’s both danceable and defiant. This isn’t a reinvention — it’s a detonation.
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hernameischerrybomb/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mandyleed
