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Photo: Vassu Vu

WEEDKILLER is the long-awaited debut studio album from breakout singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko. The project confidently blends various genres, including trap-pop, electronic-pop, and alternative rap, creating an unrelenting body of work that demands your attention from start to finish.

The album opens with a bang in "World Eater." It showcases decadent melodies and manipulates Ashnikko’s vocals to introduce the story’s overarching technological conflict, switching gears and going full throttle on the following "You Make Me Sick!" The previously released track is epic and unrelenting, opening with nu-metal-inspired distorted guitar riffs and a menacing beat. In the song, Ashnikko cuts an ex-boyfriend down to size as her voice breaks into a screaming, mighty roar, making lyrics like "You fucking loser!" sound like a death blow to the face and the ego. "I've decided to come back with my angriest, most cathartic song to date," Ashnikko explains. "My own personal rage room for me to smash my plates."

"Worms" opens with warm, plucky guitar riffs that are soon joined by beats and percussion. Then, Ashnikko croons, "The world is burning / I got worms in my brainz / Gonna bleach my eyebrows, change my name / The world is burning / And I laugh at the blaze." Amidst the self-confessional bout of self-sabotage, the track's second half sees the artist ultimately accept things for how they are. She tells herself that nothing matters and that she'll be fine despite the disaster as the percussion and beats increase in intensity. This all leads to one more apocalypse-accepting chorus before the song warps and fades to its end.

The hushed and frothy "Super Soaker," featuring Daniela Lalita, and the bouncy and witty "Don't Look at It" lead into the biting "Cheerleader." "Cheerleader" opens with a haunting blend of warped vocalizations, synths, and beats, adding a sense of danger and hostility to the short but brutal track. Ashnikko wastes no time describing her predicament of putting up a front and picking herself up when she's beaten down. In the pre-chorus, the instrumentation takes an unsettling turn as she admits to having to "Feed the beast unbroken dreams." The insanely catchy chorus goes off on the leering, judgmental entities that make up the status quo and what they peddle in the industry and society. In lyrics like, "Hatе me 'cause I'm beautiful, bitch, I don't like you either," and "Honey, I'm the lead role, you don't even feature," Ashnikko steps on the throats of those who want to belittle her and her talent. 

"Miss Nectarine," arguably one of the best songs on the album, entangles Ashnikko's conservative upbringing with the irrepressible lust of being young and gay. "Your parents screamed and blamed on me / Sent you off and prayed my gay away that Sunday," she sings over sweaty club instrumental and delightful Y2K-inspired production, representing sexual freedom at its goddamn best.

Other standout tracks include the frolicking "Moonlight Magic," distorted percussion-driven "Chokehold Cherry Python," electro-pop, title-track "WEEDKILLER," and the cinematic and flowery "Want It All," all of which set the stage for the double whammy that is the final two songs on the album. "Possession of a Weapon" evokes the eeriness of indie horror comedy Teeth with hushed whispers and sing-songy lines, "Possession of the pussy weapon / My sacral chakra heaven's threatened" and "Pussy teeth to imprison you / Little pills, I don't wanna get high," driving home the song's message of protesting against the overturn of Roe v Wade.

WEEDKILLER ends on a hopeful note with the dark and demure "Dying Star." Teaming up with indie darling Ethel Cain, Ashnikko admits to being "tired of the dirt and grit" and wants "something soft." Over subdued guitar riffs, thrumming bass, flourishing piano accents, and percussion, she admits to being ready to leave behind the world of WEEDKILLER, full of suffering and pain. The track leaves listeners in tears as Ashnikko eagerly looks forward to the future, hoping it's "something soft," which honestly, is something we all deserve.

Undoubtedly, Ashnikko's WEEDKILLER is a funneling of rage. It is a quest to rediscover autonomy and cement identity. Despite the darkness in its tone and delivery, it is also ridiculously fun, leaving enough breathing room for the artist's witty and comical side to shine through amid the chaos of a world on fire. It’s a triumphant debut that changes the game and a solid contender for album of the year.

Listen to WEEDKILLER below: