Already taking 2021 by storm, Ashnikko released her greatly anticipated mixtape DEMIDEVIL, which is now available to buy or stream. Alongside the date move, the blue-haired singer-rapper has released the video for her latest single ‘Deal With It’.
Featuring Kelis’ iconic ‘Caught Out There’, ‘Deal With It’ is an empowering anthem song of sexual liberation and sweet freedom that comes from getting over an ex. Ashnikko says on the track “My tentacle break-up fantasy brought to life. And having a sample of Kelis’ “caught out there” is an actual dream come true. My childhood musical hero.”
Ashnikko transforms into a tentacle clad monster in the pirate themed Charlotte Rutherford directed video. The pair come together again after collaborating on previous single ‘Daisy’ as well as the ‘Daisy 2.0’ remix featuring Hatsune Miku, emulating Ashnikko’s larger than life personality.
On her magnum opus, DEMIDEVIL, the London-based North Carolina-born artist flaunts her multi-hyphenate genre spanning style as she ricochets between themes of empowerment (‘Daisy’), vengeance (‘Cry’) to full blown side splitting humour (Clitoris! The Musical).
Throughout, Ashnikko calls on other fiercely inspiring artists like New York rapper Princess Nokia for a collaboration on the Sapphic soaked dream sequence, ‘Slumber Party’ as well as ethereal pop star Grimes on emo banger ‘Cry’. Always paying her dues to the feminist artists of the early naughties and late 90’s paving the way for outspoken Gen Z artists like herself on DEMIDEVIL, she plays homage to Avril Lavigne with ‘L8r Boi’ upgrading the lyrics through her ‘no-fucks-given’ prism as well as today’s release featuring Kelis.
Ashnikko stays true to herself as she excovates her emotions and experiences with friendships, relationships and even with the music industry, from the very literal ‘Toxic’ to the shot pouring and dance floor ready ‘Drunk With My Friendz’. Channeling her grungier side on ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Good While It Lasted’ we get a taste of Ashnikko’s acerbic tongue and to finish, is the ‘funny ‘cause it’s true’ ‘Clitoris! The Musical’. A hilarious take down of the hetrosexual males’ arguable inability to find the sweet spot.
Demidevil follows on from Ashnikko’s 2019 heartbreak anthem Hi, Its Me EP which introduced the world to ‘STUPID’ and led to her clocking nearly 2 million followers on TikTok. Her fans now include Billie Eilish, Olly Sykes, Miley Cyrus, as well as BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills, Nick Grimshaw and Clara Amfo. The artist has been interviewed and supported by tastemakers DAZED, Pitchfork and Crack – to name a few and already this year has been titled a one to watch by NME, ELLE and Line of Best Fit.
The 24 year old’s furious feminst energy is palpable, turning the male gaze on itself again and again on her new mixtape. As Ash puts herself “I just like being a little demon – a little devil hellraiser”.
In conjunction with today’s video release, Paige Piskin has recreated the Ashnikko Sea Monster as an Instagram filter. Follow Ashnikko on Instagram to use the filter and follow her there as well as Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok to stay up to date on everything in her blue tinged world.
Tracklist:
Daisy
Toxic
Deal With It
Slumber Party (feat. Princess Nokia)
Drunk With My Friends
Little Boy
L8r Boi
Cry (feat. Grimes)
Good While It Lasted
Clitoris! The Musical