I kinda maybe don't actually hate this, I think... (Daisy - Ashnikko)
Who the hell is Ashnikko? And why are all my friends listening to her suddenly? And, most importantly, why can’t I get her voice out of my head at three in the morning when I’m trying to sleep? Yes, that was rhetorical. She has a mishmash of tracks but no debut album, nothing that stands out to me as ‘special’ at first glance, so why does she have 2.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify? Two words: E-girl Invasion. Actually that’s completely unfair as there is clearly a lot more at play here, and that is what I aim to answer with this piece, discussing her latest track ‘Daisy’ and how it, along with her previous successful songs, have made her name famous among YouTubers, TikTokers and Instagram influencers alike.
Lucid Dreams
Ashnikko has a striking appearance that reflects her bold persona, and this very important to note when considering Daisy; a song that she describes as being about her ‘badass alter ego’. I find this theme interesting, as all you have to do is scroll through her social media to find that she is clearly weird and wonderful enough on her own, so why does she feel as though she needs to project this further? In a time of isolation, crippling boredom and stress, I think it is fair to say that it is a rare occasion when we wake up to face another day stuck inside, watching Netflix while scouring for jobs, that we feel sexually empowered, colourful and strong. Music is often about relatability and togetherness, and while this is definitely still important, lockdown has provided us with a need for self-appreciation and escapism. Which, incidentally, is exactly what Ashnikko’s music delivers. The video for Daisy shows her in startling outfits and scenes that I can’t decide whether are from my dreams or my nightmares, but either way are definitely not boring, and I can guarantee is equally as utopian for Ashnikko in lockdown as for us.
Chameleon Vibes
Continuing the theme of being downright weird and slightly uncomfortable in the best possible way, the song itself is about as abrasive as you would expect. To my uncultured brain it has the instrumentals of Cardi B due to the harsh trap beat, but melodically is reminiscent of more alternative artists. I’d like to draw a parallel to another one of her tracks, ‘Cry’, where she even includes driven guitars in critical sections. Ashnikko’s songs are both angsty and angry while maintaining a mainstream electronic pop/RnB vibe.
The combination of genres in a progressive format is something I have talked about extensively over the lifespan of the blog, but seeing it moving from rock, metal and alternative to the mainstream scene is a very refreshing development indeed, and I can’t talk about DIY pop culture without mentioning everybody's favourite emo teen Billie Eilish. There is a collective of young, unique and creative artists developing who really have an eye for expansion and detail when it comes to the way the music industry is progressing, and it really gives me hope that we will one day be able to move away from factory produced music and reality TV success, bringing pop culture music back down to the level of the alternative mentality of ‘Do It Yourself’.
The Future Is Numbers
A while back I stumbled across Grimes, a personality most people will have heard of in relation to Elon Musk, but who I know from collaborations with the likes of Poppy and Bring Me The Horizon. My close friends will know I had a short period of time obsessing over her track ‘Kill V. Maim’, which is about as convoluted as the name suggests, but despite spending a week annoying my flatmates, convinced that this song was the song to end all songs, I couldn’t settle in with any of her other tracks enough to justify the opinion. Her music was a bit too cute – a bit too anime for me. Where I wanted creepy, haunting ambient vocals about being trapped in your own soul, like in BMTH’s ‘Nihilist Blues’, Grimes was pitch-shifting up and singing about how machines are going to take over the world…or something like that. Fast forward a year and we have Ashnikko, which does the opposite thing for me.
While my inner emo really wishes she would drop the cliché trap beat, it is a blatant tool used in a lot of pop culture music and does a solid job of selling the listen on the fact that she means business. Ashnikko isn’t afraid to get up in your face and tell you her worth. Her style and lyrics are what makes her stand out and, even though her music is so far removed from anything I usually go for, I really want to like her because of this. Kinda’ like how Lady Gaga has an amazing voice and is a complete icon of female power, despite the fact that I can’t think of her without picturing that goddamned meat-dress. Hey, it stuck in my mind so what she was trying to convey was clearly successful.
F**k A F**king F**kboy
I would say that she doesn’t come across as ‘conventionally’ attractive. Hold your horses for one second while I explain what I mean by this. Whether something can be described as ‘conventional’ or not comes down to an observed general social opinion that is shared among the wider community of our society, and is a theoretical method often based in media studies to determine how your average person would mentally dissect an image. Yes, I know it’s weird, just stick with me. In this case, I am observing her from the empathetic perspective of someone who might listen to the UK Top 40, Capital FM or MTV Bass, maybe someone who isn’t used to seeing people with funky dyed hair or glass platforms.
When I say she isn’t physically conventionally attractive, I don’t mean she isn’t, I mean that my mum probably wouldn’t think that she is. If anything, my mum would probably find her a bit scary, which I think is exactly what Ashnikko wants to convey. No, alternatively Ashnikko drips sexual power. In Daisy she brags about this in an almost threatening way. Growing up, she is the icon that your parents wouldn’t want you to be inspired by, but she’s the icon that will make a lot of young women realise that they are allowed to express themselves in whatever damn way they please, regardless of whether their male peers approve or not.
I look forward to the day that I don’t have to talk about female artists’ appearances as being equally important as their music, but in a society whether everything is dictated by our short attention spans through five-second adverts, flashing bright colours and the 'male gaze', the female image is only going to become more important before it can not matter at all. Ashnikko’s music and persona is painfully relevant at present, and I look forward to seeing what other artists are born from her daring and gaul.
