“Bring it on, b*tch,” Ashnikko sings in “Cheerleader,” the latest single from their upcoming Weedkiller album, and it isn’t an empty invitation. The accompanying Joanna Nordahl-directed video shows, yet again, that Ashnikko is here for it all.
According to press release, the “Cheerleader” video “melds elements of folklore and surrealism, drawing inspiration from the cinematic atmospheres of Midsommar and the fierce energy of Bring It On.”
In just over two minutes, Ashnikko and their crew let loose in a misty, ominous forest. She scoffs at traditional beauty standards (“God made me pretty / You made me mean / I brought a blade to the dance routine”) and replaces them with visceral descriptions of empowerment (“Honey, I’m the lead role, you don’t even feature”).
“If youth and beauty are the currency, I will pay it in full until I am a withered husk decomposing on the moss and going back to mother earth,” Ashnikko said in a statement. “The beast looms in my periphery, constantly gazing and assessing as perform for him, hoping I am good enough!!!!!!!”
“Cheerleader” follows “Possession Of A Weapon,” which was Ashnikko’s response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “You Make Me Sick!,” “Worms,” and “Weedkiller” have also been released as singles ahead of the August 25 arrival of Weedkiller.
Watch the “Cheerleader” video above, and see Ashnikko’s North American Weedkiller World Tour dates below.
09/10 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
09/12 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
09/13 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
09/15 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis
09/16 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
09/18 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live!
09/19 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
09/21 — Toronto, ON @ Rebel
09/22 — Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
09/23 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater & Ballroom
09/25 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
09/26 — New York, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage
09/28 — Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann
09/29 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
09/30 — Richmond, VA @ The National
10/02 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
10/03 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
10/05 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
10/o6 — Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live at the Backyard
10/07 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
10/11 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
10/13 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/14 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
10/16 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
10/17 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex Rockwell
10/19 — Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
10/20 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
10/21 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/22 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/24 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10/25 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10/27 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
10/28 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA
10/29 — Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
10/31 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Weedkiller is out 8/25 via Warner Records. Find more information here.
Ashnikko is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.