Cry (Ashnikko song)

"Cry" is a song by American singer and rapper Ashnikko, featuring vocals from Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes. It was released on June 17, 2020 through Parlophone Records as the lead single from Ashnikko's debut mixtape, Demidevil. Produced by Ebenezer and written by Ashnikko, Grimes, Ebenezer, and Faangs, it is a nu metal, pop rap, futurepop, and rap rock track dedicated to Ashnikko's ex-best friend who had sex with her ex-boyfriend.

"Cry"
Single by Ashnikko featuring Grimes
from the album Demidevil
ReleasedJune 17, 2020 (2020-06-17)
Genre
Length2:05
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Ebenezer
Ashnikko singles chronology
"Tantrum"
(2020)		 "Cry"
(2020)		 "Daisy"
(2020)
Grimes singles chronology
"Delete Forever"
(2020)		 "Cry"
(2020)
Music video
"Cry" on YouTube

The song was met with generally positive critical reception, and was included on NPR's list of the best songs of 2020. The track's anime-style CGI-animated music video was directed by Mike Anderson and released the same day as the song. It was nominated for Best Pop Video – UK at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards.

Background and release
"Cry" was inspired by American rock band Evanescence (pictured).

Ashnikko originally wrote "Cry" out of a desire to write a song reminiscent of American rock band Evanescence as a joke, but came to like the sound of the track and decided to expand upon it. After Grimes followed Ashnikko on Instagram, Ashnikko sent her a direct message asking her to appear as a featured artist on one of her songs, to which Grimes agreed.[1] The song was co-written with Canadian singer-songwriter Faangs.[2]

The song was announced on May 27, 2020, while its release date was originally announced as June 3, 2020 via Ashnikko's Twitter account. The release was postponed, however, in response to the George Floyd protests, with Ashnikko tweeting "Now is NOT the time to be promoting music."[3] It was released as the lead single from her 2021 mixtape Demidevil, and became Grimes's first release after giving birth to her first child with Elon Musk.[4] The track was released on June 17, 2020. A heavy metal version of the song featuring the band Employed to Serve was released on August 4, 2020.[5]

Composition

"Cry" has been described as nu metal,[6][7] pop rap,[8][3] futurepop,[9][10] and rap rock.[11] A distorted guitar and trap drums make up the song's instrumentation.[1] The first verse is rapped by Ashnikko, which transitions into a chorus sung by Ashnikko in a "scream", followed by the second verse sung by Grimes in a "whisper".[7] The song's lyrics were written about an old best friend of Ashnikko's who had sex with her ex-boyfriend, with Ashnikko asking the friend, "Bitch, are you tryna make me cry?/Are you tryna make me lose it?".[12] Grimes's verse features heavy reverb and references the William Shakespeare play Richard III with the lyric, "This is the winter of my discontent".[13]

Critical reception

Brendan Wetmore of Paper called the song "an ambitious burst of anger" and "one of [Ashnikko's] most expansive [songs], sonically".[1] Ashley Reese of Jezebel wrote that the track "does a great job making the case that nu-metal revival is for the girls", adding, "Honestly, my only complaint is that the two-minute and five-second long song isn’t longer."[6]

NPR named "Cry" the 84th best song of 2020, with LaTesha Harris writing, "The strength of 'Cry' is in the duality...the track – campy hyperpop inspired by nu-metal acts like Evanescence – is expansive and vulnerable, oscillating between vicious, throat-punching shrieks and delicate, honeyed breaths."[14]

Music video
An animated character based on Ashnikko with several of Grimes's heads protruding from her limbs walks through a cityscape in the "Cry" music video.

The music video for "Cry" was released on the same day as the song. It was directed by Mike Anderson and made as a CGI animation, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Grimes's pregnancy.[1] The video was inspired by science fiction[15][16] and anime.[13][10][9]

Synopsis

The video begins with a green-haired girl running down an alleyway in a dilapidated city, then hiding behind a destroyed car. Ashnikko, who appears as a demon with three heads and chunks of her body missing, begins chasing after the green-haired girl, who shoots at Ashnikko but trips. Ashnikko picks the girl up by the neck to see that she is wearing a pendant with half of a broken heart before ripping her body in half.

A flashback shows Ashnikko, this time with no mutations, floating inside the head of a mecha in space, starting to cry when she sees her pendant, which has the other half of the broken heart. In a dark forest, Grimes, who is depicted as a group of identical fairies, shoots a beam of light into the sky, which hits the mecha, causing it to explode. Ashnikko starts floating in outer space, before Grimes taps her head, causing her to morph into her distorted, three-headed version. Back in the city, Ashnikko walks towards the green-haired girl and begins to mutate as Grimes's heads start to grow out of her limbs.[17][18][4]

Reception

The video was named the fifth best music video released in June 2020 by Pitchfork, with writer Eric Torres writing, "Equal parts frantic action thriller and intergalactic anime, 'Cry' dazzles even as it turns grisly."[11] Writing for Paper, Brendan Wetmore referred to the video as "a wild trip through Ashnikko's most glorious nightmares" and "an experience that is literally out of this world."[1] Dork's Jamie Muir called the video a "must-watch" and "a gory out-of-this-world trip".[9]

In a less positive review of the video, Jezebel's Ashley Reese wrote, "I can take it or leave it."[6]

Accolades
Organization Year Award Result Ref.
UK Music Video Awards 2020 Best Pop Video - UK Nominated [19]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[20]

  • Ashnikko – vocals, songwriting
  • Grimes – vocals, songwriting
  • Ebenezer – production, songwriting, programming, recording
  • Matt Wolach – assistant production
  • Melissa Storwick – songwriting
  • John Greenham – mastering
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[21] 37

References
  1. Wetmore, Brendan (June 17, 2020). "Ashnikko Breaks Down Her Banger 'Cry,' Featuring Grimes". Paper. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  2. Kenneally, Cerys (October 23, 2020). "Faangs unleashes new single "Huh" from debut project Teeth Out". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. Schatz, Lake (June 17, 2020). "Grimes and Ashnikko "Cry" together on new single: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  4. Mamo, Heran (June 17, 2020). "Grimes Returns With First New Music Post-Baby in Ashnikko's 'Cry' Action-Packed Anime Video". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  5. Muir, Jamie (August 4, 2020). "Ashnikko teams up with Employed To Serve for metal version of 'Cry'". DIY. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  6. Juzwiak, Rich; Sherman, Maria; Reese, Ashley (June 19, 2020). "Have You Listened to Chloe x Halle's Excellent New Album Yet?". Jezebel. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  7. Helman, Peter (June 17, 2020). "Ashnikko - "Cry" (Feat. Grimes)". Stereogum. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  8. Scott, Ruby (June 17, 2020). "Ashnikko and Grimes Deliver a Genre-Pushing Hybrid With "Cry" / Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. Muir, Jamie (June 18, 2020). "Ashnikko has unveiled 'Cry', her new collaboration with Grimes". Dork. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  10. Murray, Robin (June 18, 2020). "Ashnikko Teams Up With Grimes On 'Cry'". Clash. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  11. Torres, Eric (July 1, 2020). "The 7 Best Music Videos of June 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  12. "Ashnikko teams up with Grimes for new banger 'Cry'". DIY. June 18, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  13. Hudson, Alex (June 17, 2020). "Grimes Becomes an Anime Cyborg in Ashnikko Collaboration "Cry"". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  14. "The 100 Best Songs of 2020". NPR.
  15. Bulut, Selim (June 18, 2020). "Grimes joins Ashnikko for new song 'Cry'". Dazed. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  16. Bruce-Jones, Henry (June 18, 2020). "Ashnikko brings Grimes along for a sci fi battle in 'Cry'". Fact. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. Silbert, Jake (June 18, 2020). "Ashnikko Enlists Grimes for Fury-Fueled "Cry" Single". Hypebeast. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. Yoo, Noah (June 17, 2020). "Grimes Joins Ashnikko on New Song "Cry"". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  19. Copsey, Rob (September 30, 2020). "Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Beyoncé lead UK Music Video Awards nominations". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  20. "Cry (feat. Grimes) / Ashnikko". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  21. "NZ Top 40 Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
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