<.p>Porter Robinson and Australian DJ-producer Ninajirachi released their debut collaborative single, “WannaCry,” on July 28 via I Love Cats/NLV Records. Spurred by a direct message from Robinson and developed in his Chapel Hill studio, the synth-driven hyperpop track draws unexpected conceptual inspiration from the infamous 2017 ransomware attack.
The Bottom Line:
- The Collaboration: Longtime mutual admirers Porter Robinson and Ninajirachi teamed up for their first joint single, “WannaCry,” released on July 28.
- The Concept: The track takes its title and thematic perspective from the 2017 WannaCry ransomware computer virus.
- The Reception: Initially debuted during Ninajirachi’s Coachella set in April, the song has sparked widespread resonance across electronic and hyperpop circles.
How A Direct Message Built a Hyperpop Bridge
But the genesis of “WannaCry” was far more organic. Both artists admitted to feeling too shy to initiate contact, despite obvious connective tissue between their sounds. Robinson ultimately sent the first DM, leading to Ninajirachi traveling to Robinson’s Chapel Hill, North Carolina studio in early February.
Here is the kicker: Robinson nearly kept the core musical sketch to himself. Having experienced underwhelming feedback from past collaborators, he hesitated before playing the initial melody. Ninajirachi, however, immediately latched onto the sketch. Ninajirachi has frequently cited Robinson’s historic Worlds tour as her first live concert experience—describing it to Billboard as feeling like a “Victorian-age child being shown an iPod.”
Inside the Studio: Fixing the Bass and Fast-Tracking Production
“WannaCry” came together rapidly, functioning as an instinctive exchange of ideas rather than a labored exercise in commercial compromise.
According to Robinson, technical contributions from Ninajirachi proved vital to the track’s final sonic identity. While Robinson supplied the initial melodic framework, Ninajirachi overhauled the low end. “My bass sound was just kind of whack, and Nina changed it into this amorphous flowing thing and added all these insane glitches and made the whole breakdown of the song,” Robinson noted.
The workflow relied on rapid prototyping. The duo would draft an idea, shelve it to try alternate concepts, and invariably return to “WannaCry” as the strongest foundation. For Ninajirachi, working alongside an artist who shaped her formative years carried a unique validation. Rather than a superficial mimicry of her style, the collaboration felt entirely understood from a conceptual standpoint.
| Release Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Single Title | “WannaCry” |
| Release Date | July 28 |
| Labels | I Love Cats / NLV Records |
| First Live Debut | Coachella (April) |
| Inspiration Source | 2017 Ransomware Attack / Computer Virus Perspective |
From Ransomware to the Festival Mainstage
The thematic underpinnings of “WannaCry” lean heavily into technological nostalgia and digital anxiety. Drawing from the 2017 ransomware attack—as well as historical touchstones like the 2000 ILOVEYOU virus—the artists framed the track from the perspective of the computer virus itself. Robinson pointed out the dual virality of these digital events, noting how their memorable, frightening monikers captured the public imagination in a way that mirrored cultural pop phenomena.
But the real test for any club-oriented track happens under festival lights. Having road-tested the song during live sets at Coachella and Project Glow, the producers designed “WannaCry” as an instrumental-driven catharsis for the dance floor. Eschewing the heavily vocal-centric structures of recent solo material, the track pivots toward an energetic drop explicitly engineered for festival PAs.
As contemporary electronic acts like Frost Children and Ninajirachi build upon the foundational sounds of 2010s electronic music, veterans like Robinson find themselves looking into a mirror that finally reflects clarity rather than distortion. Instead of feeling like a funhouse parody, this new wave of hyperpop-adjacent production demonstrates a genuine, texturally literate understanding of the past.
As “WannaCry” continues to ripple across streaming algorithms and live sets this summer, it marks a vital collision point for two generations of electronic music architects. What are your thoughts on how modern hyperpop intersects with 2010s blog-era electronic music? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it.
