Whilst many of us could say we’re on the brink of insanity, Ashnikko aspires to this. For the American popstar-in-the-making, this debut mixtape sees her conjuring the spirits of her alternative ego, Demidevil, punishing those who’ve betrayed her, leaving no prisoners in her wake.
These sorts of antics is, of course, nothing new in the hyper/bubblegum pop scene - summoned by the recent notable likes of Dorian Electra, Charli XCX, and 100 Gecs, embracing nostalgic sentimentalities from the music scene with crushingly brutal production at its helm. Yet for Ashnikko and Demidevil, the idea of restraining and punishing the patriarchy remains intrinsically vital, swaggering in a braggadocious, playful facade verging on a tumultuous spree of insanity.
From the LP’s inception, this leap is taken. The rubbery, colourful pop single of last year ‘Daisy’ protrudes with an intense playful tongue-in-cheek-ness against Ashnikko’s former lovers, “blossom in the moonlight, screw eyes, glacial with the blue eyes, I’m terrifying.” Aside from the simmering violence conjuring Ashnikko’s character here, pertinent lyrical soundbites made for a fortified matriarchy burgeons the track’s core “fuck a princess, I’m a king, bow down and king on my ring” - directly challenging the inherent roots of our current patriarchy.
These tropes transcend further into our journey, surfacing conspicuously violent undertones in ‘Toxic’ and ‘Deal With It’ - the former revelling in modern pop-trap euphoria; the latter grounded in an ultra-pop synth hook suited for a spirited nightclub environment. While ‘Toxic’ allows Ashnikko to perform her deft pseudo-rapping skills with an air of Billie Eilish musicalities, ‘Deal With It’s club atmospherics allows the triumphant sexual independency to shine, albeit facetiously, “I don’t need a man, I need a rabbit, I need a new toy to cleanse my palate.”
But the versatility underlining Ashnikko’s talents heads us toward a horrific collision course in this mixtape’s mid-section. Undermining Princess Nokia’s feature on ‘Slumber Party’ and the hindrance of auto-tuned vocals vapidly embedded into ‘Drunk With My Friends’, this section fails to conceal Ashnikko’s somewhat trite repertoire displayed here. Signifying a real regression in her ordinarily playful facade, these tracks succumb to an over-cluttering of blaring auto-tuned vocals, overblown 808s and basslines, with an exceedingly insatiable appetite for exuberant hyperpop - ultimately sending her beyond the edge and out of sight.
The discouraging features are prolonged even further, continuing with Grimes’ airy, background vocals laced within ‘Cry’s main chorus - a hook so featherweight, it’d be blown away by a slight gust of wind. Luckily, the notable diamond within the ruffage proves to be a revamped cover of Avril Lavigne’s long lost pop-punk anthem ‘Sk8r Boi’, entitled here as ‘L8r Boi’. Harnessing this turn-of-the-century single into a pertinently playful and redeeming track, Ashnikko gifts us with tight production, airy electronics, trap beats, as well as re-wordings of Lavigne’s lyrics set to spark your new, dignified, confident self.
As the mixtape traverses through various avenues of Ashnikko’s past, an abrupt exit lane is taken at its conclusion, straight into the land of musical theatre for ‘Clitoris! The Musical’. Citing the incapabilities of cisgender heterosexual men in bed, “I’m bored of your fumbling hands, this isn’t unchartered land”, the track borders on Ashnikko’s shock-factor type of humour whilst dipping her toes into the waters of piano ballads. In spite of some bitterly sour tasting notes amongst this mixtape, Ashnikko bears a project brimming with talent and potential for the future. In a competitively cut-throat industry within the modern pop scene, one can only hope that the cream of the crop here will rise over time, allowing Ashnikko’s Demidevil persona to revel in her own schizophrenic world.
6.5/10
Ashnikko's debut mixtape, Demidevil, is out now and can be found here.
Comentarios