Thomas's Music Blog

When girly-pop juggernauts like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter are both releasing albums in 2025, you might think that most other artists are simply competing for the pop album bronze medal. This year, however, you would be sorely mistaken – not only did Mikayla's HOT POT! project take the gold for my favorite pop album of the year, I am also dubbing it my number one favorite album of 2025, period.

If I had to describe this album with one word, it would be "addicting." I almost struggle to put down into words the feelings that listening to this album evokes. The chord progressions and melodies are so catchy that I struggle to believe they have never been used in other songs by other artists before, yet this entire album has such a unique sound and quality to it. A lot of songs have this scale climbing-and-descending motif which contributes to a very bubbly and infectious sound (listen to piano in the sky for a perfect example of what I mean), and clear catchy drum lines only add to this further.

The songs have this sweet quality to them that is simultaneously complemented by an almost haunting tone (this is probably where a music theorist would describe the difference between major and minor keys, but I am just a guy who likes music, not a music theorist). Mikayla's voice is also wonderful, and the overall dynamism of her vocal performances makes them just as engaging as the other layers of any given song. I am describing a lot of juxtaposing vibes, which when done poorly can make a song or album sound messy or off, but never once does it feel like a component of a song is fighting for control. Normally a song stuck in my head is annoying and frustrating, but every song on this album is a treat; when a chorus from this album gets stuck in my head unprompted, I find myself welcoming the opportunity to go back and give HOT POT! another listen.

This past month, we were blessed with Ashnikko's latest release Smoochies. This album is pure, unfiltered Ash: self-expression through shameless hypersexuality and crude lyrics set mostly over heart-pounding, grinding beats… and it's fantastic. However, it is certainly not an entry album – if someone has not listened to her previous work or is not a fan already, the album's intensity could be a bit of a turn-off.

This is what inspired me to revisit Ashnikko's second full album WEEDKILLER and see if my initial enjoyment of it aged well. I loved this album upon release, and even after a few years of on-and-off listening, I can confirm it holds up. Listening to Smoochies was a normal album runthrough for me, with several songs that really stood out as my favorites and others being backburner songs to revisit. WEEDKILLER is the opposite experience in the best direction: a tight, 33 minute run of 13 songs that are back-to-back unskippable.

Colorful dystopian/apocalyptic imagery appears throughout the album, but this unique song landscape does not take away from the deeper nuances covered throughout. Feminist messaging, LGBT experience, and an overall air of self-expression and freedom are pumped into the album flawlessly to bring every song to the next level – you can listen when you're in the mood for something fun and catchy, or you can listen when you're in the mood to think and chill. The techno beats are catchy and rich without being overwhelming, and the songs maintain a perfect balance between cohesion and enough variety to keep you hooked track after track. In my opinion, this is an album that is best listened to not shuffled to appreciate the pacing and to experience the album's emotional growth, which concludes with the capstone song Dying Star (featuring Ethel Cain).

Overall, I strongly recommend this album, and while I think certain audiences will resonate more strongly with its sound and messages, I genuinely believe that with an open mind any listener could thoroughly enjoy the experience.