Fuck Jams: Ashnikko

For the first edition of Purplenoyz’s sexy new playlist series, music’s new genre-transcending, sex-positive powerhouse weighs in on her new EP, the evolution of identity, and the songs that make her feel “wet in her soul.”


When you decide to launch a playlist series called Fuck Jams, it takes more thoughtfulness than you might imagine. At its simplest, the ask is straightforward: Make a hookup playlist, and don’t take it too seriously. It could be your go-to throwback R&B songs that set the mood, the perfect song sequence for go time, or the best Radiohead songs to cuddle to during that postcoital glow. Yet you still need someone who is in on the hilarity of it all. Someone willing to be thoughtful and vulnerable in ways that feel harder and harder to come by these days with the hyper-curation of the social media age. Lucky for us, Ashnikko is exactly the artist we need for this moment.




The 24-year-old Londoner by way of North Carolina has an innate ability to speak to profound personal truths in the same breath she reminds you that she “drew a dick on all your sweatshirts” in a post-breakup fit of rage and closure. Identifying as bisexual, Ashnikko takes equal joy exalting and eviscerating past partners all across the spectrum, but always with an underlying self-awareness that reveals emotional maturity well beyond her years.

The blue-haired, anime-loving, sex-positive powerhouse has been pushing against the patriarchy since her 2018 release, Unlikeable. Brushing aside genre and lazy categorizations at every turn, she’s as comfortable inhabiting the role of vigilante dominatrix over hip hop beats (“Daisy”) as she is sharing a track with Grimes centered around the disintegration of a female friendship (“Cry”). Her brash, unapologetic lyrics about sex, misogyny in the music industry, and the trappings of a digital-first culture (present on her newly released mixtape, Demidevil) show an exhilarating combination of humor and fearlessness that make her the perfect person to discuss pregame playlists, the joy of sex toys and the complexities of representation in media and entertainment. If you are familiar with her, it should come as no surprise that she put together a mix that is equal parts playful and sweet, while being seductive and horny at the same time. No small feat.

For the inaugural edition of Purplenoyz’s new music series, the artist tackles all of the above while taking us on a journey through a masterful weaving of her favorite tracks from Kehlani, Ty Dolla $ign, girl in red, and a handful of other artists who are either already on your radar, or, as Ash puts it, sure to “make you feel it in your soul's G-spot.”


To access each song click the link to open on Spotify...



1. Kehlani - Honey https://open.spotify.com/album/2D37uNhXgherfImusGBKTx?si=mSEiouPBQG2-BJRZ-0vidw

2. Shygirl - BAWDY https://open.spotify.com/artist/3M3wTTCDwicRubwMyHyEDy?si=Su3tXlVxReGo4wk--3GqjQ

3. Kali Uchis, PARTYNEXTDOOR - fue mejor https://open.spotify.com/track/2I9t0e3gLAKOi5syoHxP46?si=53e010584e754ccb

4. girl in red - girls https://open.spotify.com/album/1wpUjnWuF4mhepCeZbA4Je?si=4A76L3INTwWIEK8yjvFcTQ

5. Ty Dolla $ign - Everywhere https://open.spotify.com/track/5BNSWQ6yvacTUfTpFtT5dk?si=35e1442aa8384564

6. Brent Faiyaz - Dead Man Walking https://open.spotify.com/album/7JN4bDXgC4mDcuhghlFBHc?si=cojtuqcLR2m1kX67HSHEUg

7. Mesego, Don Toliver - Mystery Lady https://open.spotify.com/album/3iJYwx4U2xHyDi7BRjskIJ?si=e8MgyaC2RIaJLdv6dQbRng

8. Che Ecru - PROVIDE https://open.spotify.com/track/0JDhKijDIVHCumQvQfdtvm?si=05f1ccf8ee4741f3

9. HIRA - Just When I https://open.spotify.com/track/35VOGLaZfe0NrOqG57rrUk?si=df6da329aab04080

10. Young Thug, 6LACK - Climax https://open.spotify.com/track/4N9QsmvQJcGwJHAmDmBttU?si=18ef696815474613

11. Nilufer Yanya - Crash https://open.spotify.com/track/0zbMrvJXbJ1BeYAPBGED8c?si=2838bfe6427248ae

12. Big Sean, Metro Boomin - So Good https://open.spotify.com/track/0fWBFDRTIuk8ZgNdZqhCer?si=27bb716b2c9d4e03

13. Bree Runway - All Night https://open.spotify.com/track/4pdGqhW6HzzsFP8Gi3vMn8?si=2bf50a37dfbf4023

14. BANKS - Look What You're Doing To Me https://open.spotify.com/track/0tEIWklg5pvkQGvxboLegR?si=dbad3366480a4ffd

15. Jai Paul - Zion Wolf Theme - Unfinished https://open.spotify.com/track/4gXzqH2l6fUxK0t3Zx6lUz?si=8680c7ed7986411e

16. Finn Askew - Peach https://open.spotify.com/track/6egPp2V3UVRJlPI8GtD9bF?si=f3c9ab462c4c48df

17. Kacey Musgraves - Velvet Elvis https://open.spotify.com/track/65krgqLiZqW12PZAUQ9l2x?si=b0431a7457e04b02

18. Joni Mitchell - Blue Motel Room https://open.spotify.com/track/0wGyenCHkW7eFO2ZpokF6C?si=60e85dd85b2445e0

19. Etta Bond - Teleport https://open.spotify.com/track/7i3bX66nKJyCwMKBewFElH?si=4d70d8e5e66d4540

20. Megan Thee Stallion, SZA - Freaky Girls https://open.spotify.com/track/4RAEVQeHanpXyK2lrEUkMk?si=799f711379504a57

21. Che Ecru - Freeky Hoe https://open.spotify.com/album/6fHNHCMghsdjrQAae3bVAR?si=lr8B3x7kRwCjdjy_g0Jnfw

22. Dominic Fike - Vampire https://open.spotify.com/track/0SRPuTnr5QOKRoIxMvvlgK?si=062d935d13c34666

23. girl in red - two queens in a king sized bed https://open.spotify.com/track/1pUyZuge2qoSG1nzDxftQJ?si=0c6025c45681428d




PURPLENOYZ: First and foremost, how have you been? How has quarantine been?


ASHNIKKO: I’ve been blessed. I’m healthy. My loved ones are healthy. I’m just trying to stay sane and learn some new crafts, like everyone else on Earth.


PURPLENOYZ: Some artists say, “I miss touring and I miss running around,” which would make sense for you since you were pretty hot and heavy into promotional and touring mode. But then some people say, “Actually, I love just being home and making stuff.” Which side are you leaning toward currently?


ASHNIKKO: In lockdown, my music has gone from zero to 100, and it’s very strange to not be performing the songs that are doing really well. I almost don’t have a grasp on reality. Like, I don’t know how they’re doing until I’ll be in a cab and I’ll hear the song on the radio and I’m like, “What? People like my songs?” Not having an energy exchange with people in real life is quite weird. The only way to gauge your fans’ responses is through online comments, which are toxic.


PURPLENOYZ: How do you even begin to deal with socials? I’ve always been told, “Don’t even look at comments. Don’t even bother, don’t even get in there.”


ASHNIKKO: It’s really bad, but I used to search my name and read the comments. I wanted to be in the know. And then one day I was just like, “I can’t do this.” So no, I don’t read comments, or I will go crazy. I mean, on bad days I’ll read them, and then it’s like a spiral. It’s the worst thing you can do to yourself. And then when it comes to other artists, some people are like, “I’m having such a good time. I’m writing an album and being so creative,” and I’m just lying in bed like, “What am I supposed to write about? I have done nothing!”


PURPLENOYZ: Where are you pulling that inspiration from as an artist in a moment such as this?


ASHNIKKO: There’s only so many times I can put the word “lonely” in a song. I don’t even want to think about the music that’s going to come out the next year with the hot buzzwords like “lonely,” “isolated,” and “quarantine.” It’s just—


PURPLENOYZ: Yeah. I don’t think we need a wave of pandemic pop. It’s probably a bit much.


ASHNIKKO: Oh my God. That’s what it’s going to be called.


PURPLENOYZ: I really hope not. If we bury that and pretend I never said it, then hopefully it won’t manifest itself.


ASHNIKKO: At this point, I’m writing made-up stories. I’m like, “This happened and I’m going to write a song about it,” even though I’m lying and it didn’t happen at all because I have been playing Zelda in my room for eight days straight.

I like all my songs to make me feel wet in my soul.


PURPLENOYZ: I think that’s okay. That’s called “imagination.” You’re allowed to do that as an artist. Considering the immersive world you’ve built for yourself and the way you treat your visuals as this kind of an alternate reality, you’re allowed to make up lyrics and lean into fantasy, right?


ASHNIKKO: Thank you. I think there’s an element of building a fantasy, almost comic book-like, character in my music as well as visually.


PURPLENOYZ: Did I read somewhere that you are working on a live show for streaming platforms?


ASHNIKKO: We’re working on a fantastical Livestream show for you all. I’m hoping for some tentacles. There’s going to be some dancing. This is my first time doing choreography for a live performance. I do it on music video sets sometimes, and I always injure myself really badly. I’m kind of uncoordinated, but I’m looking forward to the challenge of being a real pop girlie. This is my dream!


PURPLENOYZ: Let’s talk about this sweet, sweet playlist, shall we? I think sometimes people try to play it too cool as if they’re not listening to other stuff that’s out there or they’re not aware of other musical contemporaries. But what I love is that this is a really ahead-of-the-curve playlist. There are some people on here who you can tell are going to break any minute. You’re really on your A&R tip on this.


ASHNIKKO: One day, I’m going to be an A&R executive.


PURPLENOYZ: What was your thought process in putting it together?


ASHNIKKO: I was thinking of different speeds—different thrust speeds. I was thinking about songs that make me feel sexy. It’s not even necessarily about sex; it’s more about the feeling I feel when I like a song. It’s almost like I get aroused. When you hear a song and you’re just like, “Oh, yes. This song makes me feel so fucking wet in my soul.” That’s what I’m talking about. I like all my songs to make me feel wet in my soul, you know?


PURPLENOYZ: Yes, absolutely. I think that’s generally a good sign.


ASHNIKKO: Yeah. Your G-spot. Your soul G-spot, you know? That’s all I have to say.


PURPLENOYZ: You did an awesome job of balancing out the vibe. I remember someone saying to me once, “There are people who sing about sex and people who make inherently sexy music, and those aren’t necessarily the same thing.” You are also drawn to interesting vocal melodies. The production styles are all over the place, but there’s a lot of beautiful vocals here. Like the Shygirl track—the way she delivers “Bawdy” is unique.


ASHNIKKO: Shygirl is really cool. I love her. It’s sexy and it’s sexual. I think we can put all the songs on here into two categories.