WEEDKILLER (stylized in all caps) is the debut album by American singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko. It was originally supposed to be released on June 2, 2023, but was later rescheduled for August 25 of the same year. [1]
WEEDKILLER is a concept album that is a taken in a dystopian place called ‘The Wastelands’. The album follows its main protagonist, Aster. Aster is a fae whose wings get taken out of them by the Weedkillers. This album explores Aster’s trials and tribulations through the wastelands, as well as Ashnikko’s personal life.
Background[]
The album began writing and recorded on December 3, 2020.[2][3]
2021[]
On June 11, 2021, Ash posted that he was writing music for her next project:[4]
"been writing so many sad songs recently hope yall ready for the absolute u-turn change of direction with my new shit"
On June 29, 2021, Ashnikko announced the album's development via Twitter (X) posting "WORKING ON THE ALBUM" [5].
With this, previous collaborator with Ashnikko, CallMeTheKidd replied to the tweet saying: "let's get it!". [6] Curiously, none of the songs that made the final cut had his involvement. Ashnikko later replied the following day, confirming an upcoming collaboration between the two: "can’t wait to seeeeeee you pal i got lots of ideas 🍄🌼". [7]
On July 9, 2021, Ashinniko posted on their Instagram story a photo when she recorded new songs for "WEEDKILLER".[8] One of the songs recorded in this session was the unreleased song "Bop It".
On July 14, 2021, Ashnikko posted an Instagram post claiming she was in the studio with CallMeTheKidd and Oscar Scheller. [9]
"i am in the studio writing songs with my tiny little fleshy pink smooth brain! just vibing!"
On July 28, 2021, Ashnikko posted an Instagram story claiming she wrote a song[10].
On August 27th at the Leeds Festival, Ashnikko was asked on interview what could she describe the sound of the album as, and she replied: "very angry fairy music".[11]
Panic Attacks in Paradise & Maggots[]
On September 9, "Panic Attacks In Paradise" and "Maggots" were released, which were considered the first singles from the album, but were cut from the album and replaced with "You Make Me Sick!" as the WEEDKILLER's first single.
2022[]
On February 17, 2022 Ashnikko posted a tweet saying he was listening to demos [12]
"listening to demos !!!!! having a good time !!!!"
She did a TikTok livestream on October, where she revealed the first tidbits of the album we have gotten so far: the lyrics to the second verse of a then unknown song which would soon be revealed to be "Don't Look at It". She said she was proud of writing such lyrics and feared she could not top them. She also teased the album to be "Slumber Party 2", teasing the sexual sapphic songs on it. It is assumed she finished the album on the same October and sent it on to the label, as she would say later the last song to be sent was "Cheerleader", which was done so in October 2022.
On December, she began to tease "You Make Me Sick!" by posting a video of the seemingly behind-the-scenes of the shooting of the music video, while the first part of the chorus played. She then teased the full title on Twitter in January 2023, writing "YMMS!". We only got news on it on February 1st 2023 through her then-recent Discord server. She then announced the single. It is assumed the visuals for the album were done from November 2022 to January 2023.
At the BRIT Awards, Ashnikko chose the words "egg", "mushroom" and "euphoria" / "ecstasy" to describe the album.
Release and Promotion[]
On Febuary 27, 2023, Ashnikko released a short video with a poem made by her:[3]
| “ | The sky is like fresh blood. an artery cut open to the cosmos. flattened, charred land stretches out to the horizon, a husk of what it once was. i am a husk of what i once was. deep scars adorn my back like sigils where my wings once were. plucked out like weeds from the ground. i pack dirt into the wounds but nothing comes of it. the healing properties have been siphoned from the land. the weedkillers reign, drunk off the magic our forests gave them. and i will be the one to eliminate them. | ” |
– Ashnikko, via Twitter (X) | ||
The following day, Ashnikko announced that something will be coming the next day, together with a short video featuring a snippet of a, probably, songs from the album. On March 1, 2023, the album, together with its cover and release date, was revealed. On the same day, the WEEDKILLER TOUR was announced.
| “ | i can’t believe this is happening. my debut album is finally coming. two years ago, I wrote a short story that has expanded to become this album.
since then, I’ve been pouring my heartblood into conceptualizing, myth-making, and lore-building with some of my closest friends and collaborators. thank you for being here to step into my post-apocalyptic dystopian fae world. we always knew it would come to this, that I would be the one to eliminate you, WEEDKILLER! 🌀🗡️ |
” |
– Ashnikko, via social media | ||
The following month, on March 26, 2023, Ashnikko unveiled the album's tracklist, revealing that the album would feature collaborations with Daniela Lalita and Ethel Cain.[13]
Unfortunately, in a tweet, Ashnikko had announced a delay for the album's release date, the new release taking place on August 25th, 2023.
| “ | due to reasons beyond my control, my album WEEDKILLER is now arriving August 25. I’ve spent the past few years building this world and i want the album to be perfect for you all to enjoy. there are more chapters to unfold in the story before the end is revealed. i know this news is disappointing but there are so many exciting things happening between now and then. I can’t wait to finally share my dystopian fae world with you !!!! thank you from the bottom of my bioluminescent heart for supporting me and my music! love u all! i would send each of you tiny thimblefuls of faerie nectar and honeycomb cake if i could!!! | ” |
– Ashnikko, via Instagram | ||
Due to the new delay, "Cheerleader" was made the 5th single and a music video was shot in early July and dropped on the end of the month. Ashnikko did multiple Pop-Ups around the time and in one of them, she played the public "Don't Look at It" for the first time, up to the beginning of the second verse.
Ashnikko said on her Discord server she was not sure if she would ever release a Deluxe for WEEDKILLER.
Concept[]
The concept behind the album is described in press materials as being “a commentary on environmental disaster and the rapid evolution of technology” that tells “the story of a fae civilization occupied and destroyed by machines that feed on organic matter where the faerie protagonist seeks revenge by becoming part machine.[14]
The titular weedkillers, as explained by Ashnikko, are "enemies of many faces" - a killer machine that “represents an ecological collapse and an ecological enemy. It represents my rapist. It represents the heartbreak that I felt as a child. I’ve put all of these enemies’ faces on this one fantastical robot enemy called the weed killer, this biomatter-eating robot, because all it does is consume with no remorse.” - an ecological metaphor for environmental destruction. The killer machines were constructed by the fae themselves to aid them in the land, without expecting such machines would overthrow them and begin to destroy everything.
Recording dates[]
- December 3, 2020 [15]
- December 8, 2020 [16][17]
- March 3, 2021[18]
- March 11, 2021[19]
- March 23, 2021
- June 7, 2021
- July 9, 2021 — ("Bop It")
- July 14, 2021 — ("Jennifer's Body"; "Dance on the Flames")
- January 21, 2022
- July 25, 2022 — ("Swamparella")
- October 6, 2022 [20]
Track-listing[]
There is a total of 13 songs. No deluxe version was released.
- E Means the song is explicit
- S Means the song is a single
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Eater" | Ashnikko • Bloop Pop • Oscar Scheller • Slinger | Slinger | 2:27 |
| 2. | "You Make Me Sick!" E S | Ashnikko • Scheller • Slinger | Slinger | 2:18 |
| 3. | "Worms" E S | Ashnikko • FAANGS • Dylan Brady • Slinger | Brady • Slinger | 2:28 |
| 4. | "Super Soaker" (feat. [LDaniela Lalita) E | Ashnikko • Daniela Lalita • Slinger | Slinger • Lalita | 2:27 |
| 5. | "Don't Look at It" | Ashnikko • Slinger | Slinger | 2:09 |
| 6. | "Cheerleader" E S | Ashnikko • Micah Jasper • Scheller • Slinger | Jasper • Scheller • Slinger | 2:12 |
| 7. | "Moonlight Magic" E | Ashnikko • Slinger | Slinger | 2:32 |
| 8. | "Miss Nectarine" | Ashnikko • Scheller • Slinger | Slinger • Scheller | 2:18 |
| 9. | "Chokehold Cherry Python" | Ashnikko • Slinger | Slinger | 2:39 |
| 10. | "WEEDKILLER" E S | Ashnikko • Slinger | Slinger | 2:06 |
| 11. | "Want It All" | Ashnikko • Everett Romano • Slinger | Slinger | 2:39 |
| 12. | "Possession of a Weapon" S | Ashnikko • Lalita • Scheller | Lalita • Scheller | 2:35 |
| 13. | "Dying Star" (feat. Ethel Cain) | Ashnikko • Ethel Cain • Ilsey Juber • Scheller | Ashnikko • Cain • Frank Colucci • Scheller | 4:14 |
Outtakes[]
Main article: List of unreleased songs
Key[]
- Bold means the full studio version has been leaked/released.
- Italics means that only a snippet was leaked.
- An underlined means the song name is unknown.
Songs[]
- "Bop It" (first version)
- "Bop It" (second version)
- "Cyborg"
- "Dance on the Flames"
- "Flames"
- "Jennifer's Body"
- "Maggots" (released as single)
- "Metamorphosis"
- "Panic Attacks in Paradise" (released as single)
- "Swamparella" (feat. Unknown artist)
- "Set My Life On Fire"
- "Tough"
- "Wild"
Concept instrumentals[]
- "Adrenalinee152"
- "Alonewithuu134"
- "BlueFantaa143"
- "CashmereLeatherr"
Session songs[]
There are unreleased songs by Ashnikko recorded during the WEEDKILLER sessions that would not have made it onto the project.
Songs[]
- "Dopamine Hit" (pitch demo)
- "Halloweenie V: Night of the Banshee"
- "Halloweenie IV: Crimson Moon"
Music videos[]
| No. | Title | Release Date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | You Make Me Sick! | February 8, 2023 | 2:21 |
| 2. | Worms | March 8, 2023 | 3:06 |
| 3. | WEEDKILLER | May 9 2023 | 3:40 |
| 4. | Possession of a Weapon | May 24, 2023 | 2:53 |
| 5. | Cheerleader | August 11, 2023 | 2:19 |
Visualizers[]
| No. | Title | Release Date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | World Eater | August 24, 2023 | 2:28 |
| 2. | Super Soaker (feat. Daniela Lalita) | August 24, 2023 | 2:27 |
| 3. | Don't Look at It | August 24, 2023 | 2:10 |
| 4. | Moonlight Magic | August 24, 2023 | 2:32 |
| 5. | Miss Nectarine | August 24, 2023 | 2:18 |
| 6. | Chokehold Cherry Python | August 24, 2023 | 2:40 |
| 7. | Want It All | August 24, 2023 | 2:40 |
| 8. | Dying Star (feat. Ethel Cain) | August 24, 2023 | 4:16 |
Gallery[]
|
To view the gallery of WEEDKILLER (album), click here.
|
Merchandise[]
Trivia[]
- CallMeTheKidd may have been reintroduced into TTwok with Ashnikko because of his previous major success the song "Slumber Party".
- The song "Maggots" was recorded in March 2021, but was cut from the final tracklist.[21] It is also worth noting that most of the first sessions did not made the final cut, as Ashnikko was reportedly still finding footing on what the album should be, and spent most of 2020 without writing any music. Giving that by September 2021 she was still undecided, we can assume the album only started taking the apocalyptic-fae shape through 2022.
- Ashnikko's favorite songs from the album are "Dying Star" and "Super Soaker". She also cited "Don't Look at It" as one of her favorites in some interviews.
- The whole album leaked July 2nd, 2023.
- The total length for 'WEEDKILLER' album is 33:05.
- The shortest song on the album is "WEEDKILLER" and the longest song is "Dying Star".
- WEEDKILLER is a concept album.
- WEEDKILLER has 4 album covers between digital and vinyl.
- The album was completed in October 2022.[22]
- Originally, Ashnikko had shot 4 covers for the 'Weedkiller' album, her team and her deciding do go with the main album cover as the standard one. The other 3 had became exclusive covers for alternative vinyls.
- Two of the three alternative album covers were released as covers for the songs 'Worms' and 'WEEDKILLER'
- 'You Make Me Sick!' and 'Cheerleader' had recieved completely original covers - "Possession of a Weapon" did not get the same treatment.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsWpjGqtJ3A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_V0lgZPNrJ8?si=jCNU6txHeAuzB6cB
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpLVCfxrgaL/?igsh=eHJmZGp2M20zZHJh
- ↑ https://x.com/ashnikko/status/1403418838457274372
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ashnikko/status/1409911342585331719?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/CallMeTheKidd/status/1410039650769588227?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ashnikko/status/1410170127056781314?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AshnikkoUpdates/status/1413549223258296323?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AshnikkoUpdates/status/1415401282823720961?s=20
- ↑ https://twitter.com/AshnikkoUpdates/status/1420421649812369417?s=20
- ↑ https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/ashnikko-interview-reading-festival-debut-album-fairy-music3031740-3031740
- ↑ https://x.com/ashnikko/status/1494410277894381568[1]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdztrDvYRy/?igsh=MXh6cTlkbmdpdDU2OQ==
- ↑ https://www.thefader.com/2023/03/02/ashnikko-weedkiller-worms-world-tour-dates[2]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIWHTU-l-J-/?igsh=MWk5enA5Y3loNXhvbA==
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIjp3PWlwwm/?igsh=MWFqamdiNDR2ZjlucA==
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIjy5_1lT3g/?igsh=MWdzMmN5ZTNhMjNjOQ==
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CL9ycE_F0xt/?igsh=MXF6aW42MGIyYjFsNw==
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CMSZJOul-v0/?igsh=cmFvdHJ0Z3p0ZTN4
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CjYKXmxMp_h/?igsh=MXY0c3RneHFhd25xZw==
- ↑ https://youtu.be/dsSGoChGk9o?si=fZRlKXflI2xsR1mw
- ↑ https://readdork.com/features/ashnikko-reading-2023-down-with-boring-interview/
[]
v • e  | |
|---|---|
| Featured Tracks | World Eater • You Make Me Sick! • Worms • Super Soaker (feat. Daniela Lalita) • Don't Look at It • Cheerleader • Moonlight Magic • Miss Nectarine • Chokehold Cherry Python • WEEDKILLER • Want It All • Possession of a Weapon • Dying Star (feat. Ethel Cain) |
| Outtakes | Bop It (second version) • Bop It (third version) • Cyborg • Dance on the Flames • Jennifer's Body • Maggots • Metamorphosis • Panic Attacks in Paradise • Swamparella • Set My Life On Fire |
| Related | Halloweenie V: Night of the Banshee • Halloweenie IV: Crimson Moon |
| Artists | Ashnikko • Daniela Lalita • Ethel Cain |
| Producers | Daniela Lalita • Dylan Brady • Ethel Cain • Frank Colucci • Micah Jasper • Oscar Scheller • Slinger |
| Tours | WEEDKILLER TOUR |