Finnish rock outfit THE RASMUS has released “Love Is A Bitch”, described by lead singer Lauri Ylönen as a “wildcard” track for the band. Known for its musically dark atmospheres, THE RASMUS subversively merges catchy modern pop stylings with stadium-sized guitar crunch in this sardonic song about relationships.
“‘This song was always a wildcard,” says Ylönen. “It never fit with the rest of the songs. Still, we thought it was a fun song to play and I’m glad we decided to put it on the album. Lyrically, it’s about someone who’s treating you like shit but is too good in bed to let go.”
“Love Is A Bitch” is taken from the album “Weirdo”. The LP arrives September 12, marking THE RASMUS‘s eleventh studio album and first for Better Noise Music.
“Love Is A Bitch” is the follow-up to “Break These Chains”, released May 16 along with the “Break These Chains” video, which has since garnered over 500,000 views, while “Creatures Of Chaos” arrived March 28, with the video racking up over 770,000 views. The album’s first single, “Rest In Pieces”, was rolled out on October 25, 2024, paired with a lyric video which now has amassed over 620,000 views.
Most of the songs on “Weirdo” were written by Lauri Ylönen, Desmond Child (who contributed to the band’s “Black Roses” and “Rise” albums and has worked with BON JOVI, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, AEROSMITH and Alice Cooper, among countless others) and Marti Fredriksen (AEROSMITH, OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK VEIL BRIDES) in Folegandros, Greece. That’s where Lauri and Desmond met up to work on material that Lauri brought. THE RASMUS then did full band demos of all the tracks in Finland in July 2023, with production led by Frederiksen and Child.
Later, they finalized the songs and recorded the album with the whole band in Marti Fredriksen‘s Sienna Studios in Nashville. Some of the tracks were mixed by Fredriksen in Nashville, assisted by Evan Fredriksen, while other mixes were done by Chris Baseford (NICKELBACK, SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY) in Vancouver, Canada and by Claudius Mittendorfer (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, WE ARE SCIENTISTS) in London, and Joseph McQueen (BAD WOLVES, AS I LAY DYING, FROM ASHES TO NEW) in Los Angeles. Additional production by McQueen injects a fresh intensity into tracks like “Creatures Of Chaos” and “Break These Chains”, while Ylönen himself takes the helm on “Rest In Pieces” alongside Alex Mattson.
“I find it comforting that our eleventh album, ‘Weirdo’, has pretty much the same message as on our first album released in 1996,” says Lauri. “It is to defend and praise the ones who are different from the masses and proudly being themselves as they are. It has been our philosophy from the very beginning.”
Ylönen explains the power behind being a “weirdo.” “In this society I’ve always felt that I’ve had to prove myself for being the way I am or doing the things I do. I’ve always felt like an outsider not fitting the norm. I’ve been called a weirdo, misfit and a freak. That used to make me angry — but not anymore. It’s become my source of strength and confidence. I’ve realized the power of it. All the people I find exciting and inspiring are somehow strange. We, the Weirdos, unite and feed off people’s judging attitudes. The fact is they’re just afraid of us. Afraid of our capability to create new and change the future. Are you a Weirdo? Join us…”
THE RASMUS will bring its unforgettable stage show to audiences worldwide in 2025 on the “Weirdo Tour”, while shows for 2026 are starting to be confirmed. They recently concluded a month-long U.S. trek with THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT and their own North American headlining tour. Tickets are on sale now for its European leg, while tickets for their 2026 shows will go on sale July 17.
Melodicmag.com described last month’s tour stop in Boston as having, “…a special energy throughout the night, as the band mentioned many times how happy and fortunate they felt to finally be playing in Boston…It is safe to say THE RASMUS gifted their loyal fans with a jam-packed show that is sure to be unforgettable.”
Meanwhile, THE RASMUS will play a charity concert in Ukraine on July 19 as the headliner of the Atlas Festival, as the only foreign artist at the event. The band wants to do their part to help Ukraine. Over 60,000 people are expected to be in attendance, and there will be a comprehensive security system and evacuation plan for the audience and performers in just a few minutes if necessary. Last year, the festival raised over two million euros for charity. The artists can choose to direct their charitable funds to any Ukraine-related cause, such as supporting children’s hospitals, purchasing ambulances, or helping combat medical personnel.
“It’s scary to play in the middle of war, but we want to show our support for the Ukrainian people,” says Ylönen. We have a massive fanbase in Ukraine and we’ve also previously done a joint song with the Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra.”
With “Weirdo”, THE RASMUS once again proves why they remain a force to be reckoned with in the rock world. In their native Finland, where they are the reigning No. 1 rock band, THE RASMUS stands at No. 1 on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and Deezer as far as followers, views, likes and streams.
“Weirdo” track listing:
01. Creatures Of Chaos
02. Break These Chains
03. Rest In Pieces
04. Dead Ringer
05. Weirdo
06. Banksy
07. Love Is A Bitch
08. You Want It All
09. Bad Things
10. I’m Coming For You
Photo credit: Venla Shalin
