Confidently blending several genres into her music, Ashnikko is able to weave together elements from bubblegum and electropop and punk and hip-hop, to name a few.
Their music is bratty, sex-positive, haunting – and just a touch chaotic. And her persona? Picture: electric blue hair, a cyberpunk sense of style, and a Neil Gaiman tattoo on her arm.
Ashnikko takes you into a dystopian apocalyptic wasteland of her own creation with her debut studio album Weedkiller.
Who are they? Ashnikko is a 27-year-old alt-rap musician, whose songs "STUPID," and "Daisy" went viral on TikTok during the pandemic.
What's the big deal? Ashnikko based her album Weedkiller on a short story she wrote, building out the world in music videos that depict her battling gigantic robot enemies with a huge sword.
What's she saying? Ashnikko spoke with NPR's Scott Detrow about the world she's created, and the messages they wanted to scream.
On the fantastical influences of their work
I love fantasy like a family member. Right now, I'm re-reading Name of the Wind by Patrick. I have a book club on my discord. The main pop star of my life is Neil Gaiman. He's like the only person who I think if I saw them on the street, I would start crying. The way he builds out his worlds is just phenomenal.
On singing with rage in songs like "You Make Me Sick"
It was kind of like the bridge between my old music to my new music. So sonically, we took some apocalyptic, very industrial sounds. And for me, it was this purging, this catharsis, kind of like this toxic sludge that was living in my body, these parasites and these thorns in my sides. I haven't been super blatant about what I'm talking about, so I wanted to write a more "in your face" song, kind of purging myself of a certain man in my life.
Want more on culture? Listen to Consider This on the true toll of book bans in the U.S.
On growing up in the Bible Belt and how that impacted them
I think the reason why I am so expressive is because of my upbringing. It was like as soon as I turned 18 and was able to go craft my own life for myself, it was like an explosion. It was like "WOAH." Being able to go out and create this community for myself and see queer people having happy endings and content lives full of love – for me, it was completely new and foreign to me. I had no queer representation growing up and that wasn't so helpful for me, as a young queer person in the Bible belt.
If my parents had seen them, it would have been easier for them to understand and to see a future for me. Representation is important.
On being in a place where she can now sing about queer love and hope
I definitely couldn't be as expressive as I am now when I was growing up, when I was in high school. Now, I think young me would be super impressed and elated that I get to have that freedom now. [The song] "Dying Star" is super special to me because it's the closest thing I've ever gotten to a love song.
It's about coming home to someone soft, coming home to this home planet and sinking into the grass and allowing yourself just to be.
So, what now?
Learn more:
2024-12-24 09:591319 view
2024-12-24 09:552057 view
2024-12-24 09:51657 view
2024-12-24 09:431356 view
2024-12-24 09:222938 view
2024-12-24 09:162104 view
The National Basketball Players Association has connected with former Duke star and NBA player Kyle
The remote Arctic islands of Svalbard, Norway, the northernmost settlement in the world, have been c
We independently selected these products because we love them, and we think you might like them at t