Ninajirachi and GRAMMY® Nominee Porter Robinson Come Full Circle With Triple-ARIA Award Nominated, “WannaCry”
"They say 'never meet your idols,' but their first collab together, 'WannaCry,'
absolutely bangs."
—Rolling Stone
Some collaborations feel inevitable once they finally happen. “WannaCry” brings Ninajirachi and Porter Robinson together for the first time on record, pairing two artists whose shared love of computer music, digital culture and electronic pop makes for a natural fit. The track had already become a fixture in their live worlds—including a debut at Coachella and appearances at Primavera Sound, EDC Las Vegas, Dark Crystal, Project Glow and Dark Mofo—before its official release via NLV Records/Columbia. And it recently received three nominations from the prestigious ARIA Awards: Best Dance/Electronic Release, Best Independent Release, Producer – Best Produced Release. There’s also a great full-circle story behind it: Ninajirachi attended her first-ever concert as a teenager to see Robinson perform at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. More than a decade later, the two have turned that early inspiration into a collaboration of their own.
The concept behind “WannaCry” is just as clever as the pairing. Written from the perspective of the infamous 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack, the song takes something threatening and distinctly digital and transforms it into bright, emotionally charged electronic pop. Robinson’s gift for melody meets Ninajirachi’s detailed, computer-driven production in a track that taps into their mutual fascination with technology and online youth culture without letting the concept overwhelm the song itself. It’s sharp, playful and knowingly digital, with both artists bringing their individual sensibilities to a track that “bangs” according to Rolling Stone.
Raised on Australia’s Central Coast, Ninajirachi has become one of the most distinctive new voices in Australian electronic music, taking her music from Coachella, Lollapalooza and Laneway to sold-out headline shows around the world. Her debut album, I Love My Computer, followed projects including girl edm (disc 1) and singles “All I Am,” “iPod Touch,” “Fuck My Computer,” “Infohazard” and “Delete,” earning three ARIA Awards and the Australian Music Prize for Album of the Year. She is also the creator of Dark Crystal, her annual event spotlighting adventurous and emerging artists from across electronic music’s many corners. Porter Robinson, meanwhile, has spent more than a decade evolving his own approach to electronic music, from Worlds and “Shelter” with Madeon to the GRAMMY®-nominated “Ghost Voices,” Nurture and his latest album, SMILE!. Its single “Cheerleader” introduced a more overtly pop-facing chapter for Robinson, continuing his habit of reshaping his sound rather than repeating it. With “WannaCry,” Ninajirachi and Robinson bring those two creative trajectories together—and turn a longtime influence into a collaboration between peers.
For more information on “WannaCry,” visit WannaCry.info.
REVIEWS
Featured in The FADER's "Songs You Need In Your Life"
A "throbbing trance track"
—Stereogum
