Ashnikko shares electric new single ‘Cheerleader’

Ashnikko has released ‘Cheerleader’, the latest single from her upcoming album. Check it out below.

• READ MORE: Ashnikko on new track ‘You Make Me Sick’ and her next project: “I’m controlling the narrative”

The new single is the latest to be taken from the American singer, rapper and songwriter’s upcoming studio album, ‘WEEDKILLER’, which is set for release next month. The LP will follow on from ‘Demidevil’ – the debut mixtape from the musician, released in early 2021 through Parlophone and Warner Records.

According to Ashnikko – whose real name is Ashton Nicole Casey – ‘Cheerleader’ is centred around modern beauty standards, and acts as a social criticism for the obsession with perfection.

“It’s twisting this perfect cheerleader into a monstrosity. It’s commentary on the need to be fuckable to be commercially viable, and I really do feel that pressure,” Ashnikko said, discussing the meaning behind the track.

“It’s so tiring and played out,” she added. “No matter how much logic I’ve built up in my head, there’s still some carnal part of my brain that says ‘You have to be fuckable to sell this music, bitch!’ It’s draining on my spirit and makes me feel like I have literal car exhaust in my brain.”

The release of the song follows the recent teaser shared on Ashnikko’s YouTube page last week, check out the full track below.

‘WEEDKILLER’ will mark the first full-length LP in Ashnikko’s discography, following on from her breakthrough single ‘Stupid’ in 2019.

According to the press release, the album will be “a collection of irresistible songs that perfect the bold, genre-blending sound that has defined her work to date”.

“The ‘WEEDKILLER’ universe that Ashnikko has created is a dystopian fantasy 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,” it reads.

“[It is] a poetic commentary on environmental disaster and the rapid evolution of technology. Full of equal parts naked vulnerability and joyful rebellion, ‘WEEDKILLER’ gives a thundering voice to the oppressed.”

‘WEEDKILLER’ is set for release on August 25 and can be pre-ordered here. ‘Cheerleader’ is the latest track to be taken from the LP, following on from ‘Possession Of A Weapon’, ‘Worms’, ‘You Make Me Sick!’ and the title track.

Later this year, the singer will head out on a huge world tour across Asia, New Zealand, Australia, North America and Europe. A UK run of tour dates are also lined up for November and December – including a show at London’s Alexandra Palace.

You can buy your tickets for the UK here and find tickets for shows in North America here. See the full list of European and UK dates below.

Ashnikko’s EU and UK tour dates 2023 are:

NOVEMBER 2023
19 – Copenhagen, Denmark, Vega
21 – Warsaw, Poland, Progresja
22 – Berlin, Germany, Huxleys
24 – Paris, France, Elysee Montmartre
25 – Cologne, Germany, Carlswerk Victoria
26 – Amsterdam, Netherlands, Melkweg
30 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace
DECEMBER 2023

01 – Manchester, UK, O2 Victoria Warehouse
03 – Birmingham, UK, O2 Institute
05 – Nottingham, UK, Rock City
06 – Glasgow, UK, O2 Academy
08 – Leeds, UK, O2 Academy
09 – Bristol, UK, Marble Factory
11 – Dublin, Ireland, 3Olympia Theatre

The post Ashnikko shares electric new single ‘Cheerleader’ appeared first on NME.