Last Friday (12/09) New Zealand’s rising Pop and R&B sensation ASHY released her ‘Gone Rogue’ EP. Making waves with her shimmery, bold music and her impeccably polished visuals, ASHY gifts her listeners with a packed project filled with 7 new tracks.
The EP follows her successful comeback over 2025 with ‘Ottoman’, ‘Gucci & Louis’, her most recent collaboration with Nashville rapper Jarrod Gipson on ‘Sweeter’. Clocking 100,000 streams for the first half of her project, ‘Gone Rogue’ also includes ASHY’s viral moment with her widely acclaimed Drax Project remake of ‘All This Time’ for the Beyond The Beat NZ TV Series.
We caught up with ASHY to chat all things 'Gone Rogue'. Keep scrolling to read more about the recent release!
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You’ve recently dropped your sophomore EP ‘Gone Rogue’. How are you feeling?
I feel so fulfilled, it has been such a journey to get to this moment and I really put everything I had into this project so I’m so glad it’s finally out. I’ve also received so much love from everyone in the past few days and it has been so heart warming.
There isn’t a track named after the EP title, what does ‘Gone Rogue’ signify to you? Tell us a bit about the EP’s inception and what inspired this project.
When I was thinking of what to call this EP, none of the track titles encompassed the overall feeling of this record. I was actually playing my cousin the EP ahead of its release and she made a comment that ‘it sounds like you’ve gone a little rogue’. That opinion just stuck with me and I loved that to someone who has known me and my music for a long time. That's what it sounded like.
I really wanted to push the boundaries of what I’d done previously and I got the chance to work with some incredible collaborators who helped me push the envelope sonically. I also had the best time matching visuals to the overall ‘rogue’ aesthetic.
If it’s someone's first time finding you, which song off the EP would you recommend people listen to first as an introduction to you/the project and why?
That is such a tough question! Probably ‘You Don’t Know Me, Darling’, there’s a reason it closes the EP out. I think that song and its story really bookends the ‘Gone Rogue’ concept and plays into the unpredictable narrative that you heard over the whole project. Just when you had a grasp on what I was going to do next I hit you with a wildcard track to finish.
One of the themes the project explores is your experience in the music industry, particularly as a woman of colour. Can you tell us a bit about what it was like digging into these feelings and putting them into words? What’s your message to others who may be experiencing something similar?
When making this project I was working with collaborators that I felt safe with to share that story. In particular ‘You Don’t Know Me, Darling’ was an unforgettable experience. It was made at a writing camp with all Pan-Asian creatives, so the people I was writing with had very similar experiences. We definitely chose to have fun with it whereas ‘Ottoman’ comes from a more gritty place. The lyrics came naturally, those songs should feel like I’m speaking (particularly in the verses) because for once it wasn’t just about a great vocal melody it was just about speaking my truth.
My message to others is to lean into the people who really know you and forgo the opinions of people who just perceive you. In 2025 these struggles are still prevalent, but focus on yourself and what actually fills your cup. Block out the noise.
How do you feel you’ve developed since your first EP, ‘Status’?
I think artistically I’m a lot stronger than I was when I made ‘Status’, I had lived a lot of life in the gap between these projects and had really incredible experiences. I’d also got to work with more people around the world and hone on what I wanted my ‘sonic’ voice to be. Creating the visual brand is what really tied it together for me. I'm now really confident in the image of my artistry. I am lucky to have such an incredible team of women help me bring my vision to life.
What do you hope listeners take away from the project?
Honestly, what I’ve heard from the listeners already is that it makes them feel confident. That really spoke to me because I definitely have my doubts and am still unsure in a lot of ways but the fact that this project encompasses a feeling of ‘unapologeticness’ is really the take away.
This EP is really honest and if you listen closely you can definitely hear my moments of vulnerability, but overall it is multifaceted. Everything can be true all at once, and if this gives you a little more strength to your stride - I’m here for it!
Is there anything else in the pipeline for ‘Gone Rogue’ on the way that we should keep an eye out for? / What’s next for you?
We are back into live shows, so if you want to hear this music in real life there will be a few things you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
P.S. - that news is not just exclusive to NZ.
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About the artist: ASHY is an effervescent pop artist hailing from New Zealand. She's a musical chameleon, delving into sub-genres of R&B, dance and contemporary sounds, and is known for her incredibly polished production, shimmering vocals and catchy melodies.
ASHY’s trajectory continues to climb, with global performances at SXSW Texas (2023 & 2024), SXSW Sydney, The Great Escape UK, and support slots for Drax Project across New Zealand. Her debut EP 'Status' debuted at #1 on the Official NZ Charts with standout single “No Man’s Land” and was named one of Rolling Stone Australia’s Top 25 Albums of the Year.
With syncs in Grown-ish and Home and Away, a Recording Academy membership, and a partnership as a Shure Artist Ambassador, ASHY is cementing her place as an international artist to watch - one boundary pushing single at a time.
