Demidevil

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Demidevil
Mixtape by
Ashnikko
ReleasedJanuary 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)
Recorded2019–2020
Genre
Length25:24
Label
Producer
Ashnikko chronology
Hi It's Me
(2019) 		Demidevil
(2021) 		Weedkiller
(2023)
Singles from Demidevil
  1. "Cry"
    Released: June 17, 2020
  2. "Daisy"
    Released: July 9, 2020
  3. "Deal with It"
    Released: January 12, 2021
  4. "Slumber Party"
    Released: April 23, 2021

Demidevil (stylized in all caps) is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko. It was released on January 15, 2021, through Parlophone and Warner Records. The mixtape was supported by four singles: "Cry" featuring Grimes, "Daisy", "Deal with It" featuring Kelis, and "Slumber Party" featuring Princess Nokia.

Background[edit]

Following the release of her 2019 EP, Hi It's Me, Ashnikko would return with the single "Tantrum" on March 6, 2020. Originally intended as the lead single for the mixtape, the song would later be demoted to a stand-alone single.[1] The "DemiDevil" character was first portrayed in the "Tantrum" music video alongside Ashnikko herself and another character titled "Little Blue".[2] The latter would later be revealed as a song title on the mixtape. Album track "Clitoris! The Musical" was first featured in the video "ASH WEDNESDAY 2020". Ashnikko first teased the mixtape in a series of videos in which she is gradually turning into her "demidevil" alter ego. The last of the three videos revealed the cover art, tracklist and release date for the mixtape. Ashnikko coincidingly, officially announced the mixtape on August 28, 2020, via her social media platforms.[3][4]

Demidevil was met with several delays before its release. An initial date for October 9, 2020 was announced in August earlier that year. The mixtape then suffered its first delay in September due to "shipping delays" and other unknown reasons. The mixtape was then intended for a November 13 release.[5] A second delay was announced in October 2020, with the mixtape having a scheduled release for February 19, 2021.[6] In early 2021, Warner Music Group's merchandise team accidentally shipped out orders including physical copies of the mixtape earlier than its February 19th release. Following this error, Ashnikko would reveal a new date for the mixtape, January 15, 2021.[7]

Composition[edit]

Demidevil is a pop[8] and pop-trap[9] album that takes influence from R&B,[10][8] hip hop,[10] pop punk,[11] electropop,[12] nu metal,[13][11] and hyperpop.[14]

Singles[edit]

The lead single from Demidevil, "Cry", was released on June 17, 2020, and features Canadian musician Grimes. An animated music video was premiered alongside the track's release. This video would later be nominated at the UK Music Video Awards in the category of "Best Pop Video - UK".[15]

The opening track, "Daisy" was released as the mixtape's second single on July 9, 2020. A music video in collaboration with Beats Electronics and TikTok was released on August 7, 2020.[16][17] Commercially, "Daisy" peaked at #24 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her first charting and first top 40 hit in the United Kingdom.[18] The song also peaked at #3 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, becoming her second entry on the chart after "Stupid".

After being teased a day before its release,[19] "Deal with It" featuring American singer Kelis was released as the mixtape's third single on January 12, 2021. It premiered on BBC Radio 1 and its music video was released along with the song's widespread release. With less than 3 days of tracking, the single charted at #84 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her second ever charting track in the United Kingdom.[18]

"Slumber Party" featuring American rapper Princess Nokia was released as the fourth single on April 23, 2021, after achieving viral success on TikTok. The song would be performed on the Late Night with Seth Meyers show on April 30, 2021.[20] A music video was released on May 13, 2021.[21]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.7/10[22]
Metacritic74/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Clash8/10[24]
DIY[8]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[10]
NME[11]
The Observer[12]
Pitchfork6.9/10[13]
PopMatters6/10[25]

Demidevil received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, a website that aggregates reviews of music albums, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23] El Hunt of NME wrote that Ashnikko's "first real body of work builds on the early hype, and draws from a far wider pot of musical influences than before: Nu-metal, pop-punk, The Neptunes-esque production tricks and campy musical theatre", and concluded that the record "shows that [she is] far more than a two-trend wonder – with a tank full of intriguing bangers that evade living under 'Daisy's formidable shadow."[11]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Fred Thomas stated that "The project's ten tracks nicely mix Ashnikko's enormous personality and brazen confidence with infectious pop-trap production and hints of early-2000s nostalgia that range from subtle to overt."[9]

Billboard included the album on their list of the best albums of the first half of 2021.[26]

Commercial performance[edit]

Demidevil debuted at number 107 on the US Billboard 200.[27] It also debuted at number one on the US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard). In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 19 on the UK Albums (OCC).[28] Overall, the album debuted in seven countries including Canada.

Track listing[edit]

Demidevil track listing[29]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Daisy"
Slinger2:26
2."Toxic"
  • Casey
  • Kelly Kiara
  • Slinger
Slinger2:42
3."Deal with It" (featuring Kelis)
3:11
4."Slumber Party" (featuring Princess Nokia)
CallMeTheKidd2:58
5."Drunk with My Friends"
Scheller2:08
6."Little Boy"
  • Casey
  • Scheller
Scheller2:52
7."Cry" (featuring Grimes)
Ebenezer2:06
8."L8r Boi"
  • Slinger
  • Goldstein
2:23
9."Good While It Lasted"
  • Casey
  • Marcus Andersson
  • Gina Kushka
  • Jon Mills
  • J Mills
  • Andersson
  • Scheller[a]
3:02
10."Clitoris! The Musical"
  • Casey
  • Scheller
Scheller1:36
Total length:25:24

Notes

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

  • Ashnikko – vocals
  • Slinger – drums, synthesizer (tracks 1–3, 8); backing vocals, keyboards (1–3); sitar (1, 2), santur dulcimer (2), bells (3); flute, guitar, piano (8)
  • Mark Crew – keyboards, programming (3)
  • Dan Priddy – keyboards, programming (3)
  • Kelis – vocals (3)
  • CallMeTheKidd – keyboards, programming (4)
  • Princess Nokia – vocals (4)
  • Oscar Scheller – programming (5, 6, 9, 10); bass guitar, drums, synthesizer (5, 6, 9); keyboards (10)
  • Ebenezer – programming (7)
  • Grimes – vocals (7)
  • Andrew Goldstein – guitar, keyboards, programming (8)
  • Marcus Andersson – acoustic guitar (9)

Technical

  • Chris Gehringer – mastering (1–4, 6, 8–10)
  • John Greenham – mastering (5, 7)
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (1, 3, 7, 8)
  • Stinger – mixing (2), engineering (3, 8)
  • CallMeTheKidd – mixing, engineering (4)
  • Oscar Scheller – mixing (5, 6, 9, 10)
  • Andrew Goldstein – engineering (3, 8)
  • Ebenezer – engineering (7)
  • Zukye Ardella – vocal engineering (4)
  • Matt Wolach – mixing assistance (1, 3, 7, 8)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Demidevil
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[31] 46
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[32] 89
Irish Albums (IRMA)[33] 69
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[34] 22
Scottish Albums (OCC)[35] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 19
US Billboard 200[37] 107
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[38] 1

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[39] Gold 20,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shutler, Ali (April 22, 2020). "Ashnikko is the Miley Cyrus-approved bubblepunk pop-star who refuses to take herself seriously". NME. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Murray, Robin (March 23, 2020). "Ashnikko's 'Tantrum' Video Is A Blast". Clash. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  3. ^ ashnikko [verified account] [@ashnikko] (August 28, 2020). "DEMIDEVIL the mixtape, out October 9th!!!😈😈😈😈😈😈 preorder my baby at http://ashnikko.com" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (August 28, 2020). "Ashnikko details new Demidevil mixtape". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  5. ^ "Ashnikko". www.facebook.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "don't h8 me !!". Twitter.
  7. ^ "hey yall!! as u know, loads of my mixtapes were sent out more than a month b4 my desired release dateImp& i don't think it's fair that yall don't get to hear the music at the same time ..SoO...I made the decision to bring DEMIDEVIL forward & release it next FRIDAY, JANUARY 15th!!!". Twitter.
  8. ^ a b c Watson, Elly (November 13, 2020). "Ashnikko - Demidevil". DIY. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Thomas, Fred (January 15, 2021). "Demidevil - Ashnikko". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Watson, Kayleigh (January 14, 2021). "Ashnikko exposes her softer side on the whip smart Demidevil". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Hunt, El (January 14, 2021). "Ashnikko – 'Demidevil' review: bubblegum pop-punk star loves a bit of blue". NME. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (January 24, 2021). "Ashnikko: Demidevil review – unfiltered debut of an innate pop provocateuse". The Observer. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Bardhan, Ashley (January 21, 2021). "Ashnikko: Demidevil Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  14. ^ Townsend, Megan. "Ashnikko - 'DEMIDEVIL' review". Crack. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  15. ^ Copsey, Rob (September 30, 2020). "Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Beyoncé lead UK Music Video Awards nominations". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  16. ^ Morgan, Maybelle (August 7, 2020). "Ashnikko Teams Up With Beats and TikTok For #BeatsDaisyChallenge". Wonderland. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Richards, Will (July 10, 2020). "Ashnikko shares new song 'Daisy' and launches collaboration with Beats and TikTok". NME. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Ashnikko". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  19. ^ "@ashnikko: a hatchling for you tomorrow 👀🥚". Twitter. January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  20. ^ Subscribe. "Watch Ashnikko and Princess Nokia take 'Slumber Party' to US telly | News". diymag.com. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "Watch Ashnikko and Princess Nokia's hyper-modern video for 'Slumber Party'". NME. May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  22. ^ "DEMIDEVIL reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "Demidevil [Mixtape] by Ashnikko Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  24. ^ Cowan, Yasmin (January 15, 2021). "Ashnikko - Demidevil". Clash Magazine. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  25. ^ Malone, Nick (January 18, 2021). "Ashnikko's Debut 'Demidevil' Attempts to Birth a Pop Star From the Endless Feed". PopMatters. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  26. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks". Billboard. June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  27. ^ "Ashnikko". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  28. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  29. ^ "DEMIDEVIL by Ashnikko". Apple Music. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  30. ^ "Warner Records Press | Ashnikko". Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  31. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Ashnikko – Demidevil". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  32. ^ "Ashnikko Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  33. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  34. ^ "2021 15-os SAVAITĖS (balandžio 9-15 d.) ALBUMŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 16, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  35. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  37. ^ "Ashnikko Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Ashnikko Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  39. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Ashnikko – Demidevil" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
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