"Halloweenie V: The Moss King" is a song by Ashnikko that is the fifth stand-alone single of her Halloweenie series, released on October 27, 2023, alongside its visualizer video. It is the second track on her fifth extended play (EP), Halloweenie I-VI.
Background[]
On September 6, 2022, Ashnikko took to her social media accounts to announce that there would not be a Halloweenie release that year due to her needing a break and also to put all of her energy and focus into the finishing touches of her debut album, WEEDKILLER[1], causing the original Halloweenie V to be scrapped. She writes:
| “ | just to soften the blow i’m just gonna tell you now there won’t be a halloweenie song this year because i’m literally ripping my hair out trying to finish this album and i have to focus!! it will be worth the wait i promise!! so grateful to you all for listening to my songsies, don’t be mad im sorryyyyyyyy | ” |
– Ashnikko, via Twitter (X) | ||
Following the lack of a Halloweenie in 2022, Ashnikko has begun working on a new track for her Halloween singles series. According to Ash, due to the lack of a single the previous year, she thought it was silly to start a song with lyrics like “The only thing scary is the void in my brain/ Everything is burning I'm lonely every day/ I'm just a tiny cell my body's made of clay/ The only thing scary is the chasm in my brain.”. Then, she started researching various parts of folklore, and according to her, she became hooked on the Wild Hunt, a spectral horde of spirits and ghouls that fly through the skies when the veil is thin and abduct mortals.[2]
On September 18, 2023, Ashnikko posted a cryptic TikTok of the final shot of the Cheerleader music video. The description read [3]
| “ | dear moss king, please grant me the strength to sever the threads and fibers and filaments that bind me to the beast. | ” |
– Ashnikko, via social media | ||
Ashnikko officially announced the song on October 13, 2023, with an Instagram post that said:[4]
halloweenie V: the moss king. october 27th.
She described the installment as "a weird one" in the comments.[4] Ashnikko teased a snippet of the song on October 24, 2023, via Instagram & TikTok. [5]
"HALLOWEENIE V TEASE! 3 days till moss king 🌿🌱🧌"
The entire song was later released on its planned release date of October 27, 2023, alongside a visualizer for said song. [6]
The same day as the track's release, Ashnikko did an interview and photoshoot with Paper Magazine, titled: "What's Scaring Ashnikko?"[2].
Theme[]
"Halloweenie V: The Moss King" is a tale about a creature named Moss King, an immortal mystical being who lures mortals into becoming immortal by joining them in ritual song and dance for eternity.
Lyrics[]
[Chorus]
I am the moss king, green apple eyes
You sang the song, now our destinies are tied
Dance 'till your feet bleed, join in the hunt
You would live forever if you come hither, come
I am the moss king here in your house
You sang the song with your wicked mortal mouth
Sing to me sweetly, call to me now
There's a hundred haunted spirits in the trees looking down
[Verse 1]
Oh, you sang a summoning you thought was just a song?
I wanna get wild, wild, wild
Play with the fae, in the morning you'll be gone
Silly little mortal, silly little mortal
Oh, you sang a summoning you thought was just a song?
I wanna get wild, wild, wild
Everything is star dust, everything is gone
We go back to the dirt, to the earth
[Hook]
And I transform, chrysalis reborn
Hardcore, rockstar du jour
Transform, chrysalis reborn
Hardcore, rockstar du jour
[Verse 2]
Sweat slick, summon me, sinister sick
Fae tricks, follow me, follow me, miss
Snake pit, sugar snappin' a venomous lick
Magnetic, push and pulling you under my skin
Mystic, moving merrily into abyss
Hick bitch, have you seen what I do with the grits?
Switch, flick, want my body, keep making 'em wish
Cryptic, moving in the mist like
[Bridge]
The only thing scary is the void in my brain
Everything is burning, I'm lonely every day
I'm a tiny cell and my body's made of clay
The only thing scary is the chasm in my brain
[Hook]
And I transform, chrysalis reborn
Hardcore, rockstar du jour
Transform, chrysalis reborn
Hardcore, rockstar du jour
[Chorus]
I am the moss king, green apple eyes
You sang the song, now our destinies are tied
Dance 'till your feet bleed, join in the hunt
You would live forever if you come hither, come
I am the moss king here in your house
You sang the song with your wicked mortal mouth
Sing to me sweetly, call to me now
There's a hundred hungry spirits in the trees looking down
Official versions[]
| Final | Halloweenie series | October 27, 2023 | Slinger, Oscar Scheller | 2023 | 2:07 |
| Instrumental | Unreleased | December 26, 2024 (leaked) | Slinger, Oscar Scheller | 2023 | 2:07 |
| Demos | |||||
| Demo | Unreleased | December 26, 2024 (leaked) | Slinger, Oscar Scheller | 2023 | 2:07 |
Trivia[]
- The line "Dance 'till your feet bleed" may be a reference to "Super Soaker" and "Magic".
- The phrase, "Du jour", used in the lyric, "Hardcore rockstar du jour", is French for "of the day".
- In turn, "Hardcore rockstar du jour" would mean "Hardcore rockstar of the day".
- Despite this, "du jour" is also a phrase used to also signify power and fashion.
- In turn, "Hardcore rockstar du jour" would mean "Hardcore rockstar of the day".
- While other Halloweenie song's are closer to the 3-minute-mark, Halloweenie V is the shortest out of all the songs in the series thus far, coming in at 2:07.
- This song was leaked on October 24, 2023
- According to Ashnikko, the song is a Marmite song, some people will love it, and others will hate it.[2]
- The song jumps tempo twice, too small to be perceptible. The beginning rock segment is 90 beats per minute, the first 8 bars of trap from 0:32 - 0:52 is 93bpm, and from the bridge from 0:53 to the end is 92bpm. The song is in the key of A Minor, only diverging at "come hither come", whose melody features a sharp F and G, briefly changing key to A Major.
- Ashnikko said she loved writing this song.[2]
References[]
- ↑ https://x.com/ashnikko/status/1567142789401411586?s=20
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.papermag.com/ashnikko-halloweenie-interview#rebelltitem1
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@ashnikko/video/7280241381958815009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.instagram.com/p/CyWWFb1R7R2/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyzKIzEvnjv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3wJuVh_kxo&pp=ygUWYXNobmlra28gaGFsbG93ZWVuaWUgdg%3D%3D