From trap-metal to industrial hip-hop to "fairy trap," as she's called it — Zheani's music is hard to pin down. But that's just the way she likes it.
We haven't heard from the provocative Australian artist since her 2022 EP, the brilliantly titled I Hate People on the Internet, but that drought ended today (June 6th) with the release of "Pathetic Waste," a seething, self-immolating cut packed with ASMR-laced melodies and distorted screams.
The first taste of her latest project, The Spiritual Meat Grinder, the single arrived accompanied by a startling music video created with longtime collaborator artist Mik Shida. Mixing stunning hand-painted animation with unhinged live action, the clip sees Zheani wielding a "demon sword," but ultimately, despite her valiant efforts, unable to overcome her dark side. Watch and listen above.
"My music is almost always defiant and affirmational," she commented. "Within it, I'm a warrior, a goddess. I am victorious in my art because I so desperately want to be victorious and for my victories to be loved. My fans see me this way, like an avatar, someone powerful and larger than life. But with 'Pathetic Waste,' I try to be more honest about the mundane struggle that my life can often feel like. The pain that my own inadequacy can cause the ones I love. The missed opportunities and squandered relationships. All of this falls in my wake as I drudge forward thinking, 'What if I'm one of the bad people?'"
