Porter Robinson & Ninajirachi on Their Debut Collab: ‘I’m Getting Messages From People I Didn’t Even Think Would Like It’

While a creative partnership between Porter Robinson and Ninajirachi felt entirely natural, it was by no means a guaranteed milestone.

Speaking with Billboard via Zoom—with Robinson stationed at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Ninajirachi calling in from Chicago fresh off her Lollapalooza performance—both artists confess to a mutual shyness when it comes to initiating collaborations.

Recognizing the profound artistic parallels between their respective catalogues, Robinson ultimately decided to send the direct message that brought forth “WannaCry,” their collaborative single released July 28 via I Love Cats and NLV Records. When Ninajirachi arrived at Robinson’s Chapel Hill studio early this past February, the two immediately found a seamless creative synergy, albeit underscored by initial nervous excitement.

“The initial concept I presented to you,” Robinson shares, turning to Ninajirachi, “I almost hesitated to share because I know what it’s like when someone says, ‘I made this and it reminded me of you,’ and frankly, it doesn’t always spark inspiration.”

Instead, Ninajirachi embraced the demo, allowing the duo to expand and polish the framework into a vibrant testament to their shared affinity for punchy, synth-heavy, hyperpop-infused electronic music that marries emotional depth with intellectual complexity. This artistic alignment makes complete sense: amid her rapid ascent over the past year, the 26-year-old DJ and producer has frequently credited Robinson as a foundational influence during her upbringing in Australia. Their connection was solidified offline when she supported him on his 2025 Australian tour.

“Your impact on me wasn’t restricted to your recorded music alone,” Ninajirachi reflects. “Witnessing your live show was my very first experience inside a proper concert venue, standing directly in front of a heavy PA system and a massive LED wall. It completely blew me away. I felt like a child from the Victorian era being handed an advanced piece of technology for the first time, utterly speechless.”

Here, the pair unpack the creation of “WannaCry,” finding unexpected empathy in computer malware, and feeling profoundly understood through each other’s artistry.

Take me back to release day. What has this rollout felt like for both of you?

Ninajirachi: It’s been phenomenal. The track is literally everywhere. Porter, you are accustomed to dropping massive anthems, but I have never witnessed this level of organic reach for anything bearing my name. Everyone has shown up for this release in the best way possible. It’s extraordinary.

Robinson: The momentum felt instantaneous. I’m receiving messages from peers I wouldn’t have even expected to resonate with the track. It feels surreal to say about your own work, but it genuinely feels like we crafted an enduring future classic—the kind of song where people might eventually know the track itself better than the artists behind it. That is always the ultimate goal.

How did the initial spark come about? Given your history, did a collaboration feel inevitable?

Ninajirachi: Honestly, the initiative came entirely from Porter. Reaching out to propose a collaboration takes a level of social confidence I simply do not possess; I would never have initiated that myself. So Porter made it happen, and he already had the foundation of an idea ready when I arrived at the studio.

Robinson: I generally share that reluctance to ask people to collaborate. However, knowing how deeply Nina grew up immersed in my music made it feel like a risk-free venture. I didn’t have to experience anxiety wondering if she would even want to step into the studio with me. I had tracked Nina’s trajectory, we had shared stages across Australia, and I immediately appreciated her personality—she is witty, grounded, wonderfully eccentric, and staggeringly talented. I simply wanted to dive deeper into her creative world. Knowing that my concert was the very first show Nina attended when she was just 14 years old…

Ninajirachi: Absolutely.

Robinson: Putting myself in her shoes, stepping into the studio with someone who shaped your formative years brings an immense amount of pressure. I wanted to deliver something worthy of her standards and avoid falling flat. So I prepared several sketches, and “WannaCry”—specifically the lead melody—was the concept I was most enthusiastic about. I wasn’t entirely certain she’d vibe with it, but once we started dissecting it, Nina completely elevated the lyricism and drastically improved the production. A detail fans might not realize is how fundamentally she transformed the bassline.

In what way?

Robinson: To speak technically, my initial bass design was quite rigid and uninspired. Nina completely reshaped it into a fluid, morphing entity, weaving in intricate glitches while masterfully crafting the track’s central breakdown, ambient sections, and chorus. While some songs take me years to finish, working with Nina was effortless and completely organic.

Nina, did you share that sense of ease in the studio?

Ninajirachi: Without a doubt. We allowed ourselves room to wander creatively. “WannaCry” was the very first idea we tackled, and while we weren’t stuck on it, we operated under the philosophy of rapid experimentation—saving the project, setting it aside, exploring alternative ideas, and then circling back. Eventually, we realized, “We need to return to that first concept; it was genuinely special.”

The writing process moved swiftly, largely because Porter possesses such innate pop sensibilities. When I was brainstorming and throwing out rapid-fire ideas, I would have struggled on my own to filter out the noise. Working with Porter, I could present five distinct concepts, and he would instantly pinpoint the strongest one. Every time he made a selection, I’d think, “Really?” and invariably, it proved to be the absolute right choice.

Tell me about the title and underlying theme. Is it indeed inspired by the infamous cyberattack?

Robinson: “WannaCry” references the notorious 2017 ransomware incident, but the title carries heavy emotional resonance. The phrase evokes panic and the catastrophic loss of personal data, blending nostalgia, emotional vulnerability, and technological themes. I was reflecting recently on how both the WannaCry and the 2000 ILOVEYOU viruses possessed a dual virality. They were literal computer viruses that self-replicated and infected systems, but they also functioned as viral cultural phenomena—their names were inherently catchy, sticking in the public consciousness and spreading rapidly. The WannaCry moniker simply carries an epic, high-stakes gravity.

Ninajirachi: Porter pitched the virus concept, and we eventually thought, “What if the narrative unfolds entirely from the perspective of the virus itself?” Imagine a scenario where it has multiplied to its maximum capacity, leaving no uninfected computers left to conquer, signaling the melancholic end of its lifecycle.

You premiered the track during your set at Coachella back in April. How is it translating live?

Robinson: It is an absolute weapon in a live setting. It had been quite some time since I engineered a track explicitly tailored for club floors, festivals, and high-energy electronic shows. Over recent years, my discography leaned heavily into chorus-driven songwriting and lyrical storytelling. With this record, the vocal builds anticipate a massive instrumental drop, and I know firsthand how cathartic that release is for an audience. Watching it hit live is electric.

Nina, looking back at your longtime fandom, what would your 14-year-old self say if you knew you’d eventually create a record with Porter?

Ninajirachi: It’s surreal. Porter, please forgive me for being entirely sentimental for a moment, but statistically speaking, I exist on a timeline where one of my absolute favorite artists—someone whose catalogue shaped my life for over a decade—could easily have never encountered my music, or worse, disliked it and wanted nothing to do with me. That alternate reality was entirely possible.

Instead, I somehow landed on the timeline where Porter heard my music, appreciated it, invited me on tour, listened to my album, deeply understood it, and asked me to collaborate on a song. Countless alternate timelines exist where none of this transpired, and life would still have gone on, but I am infinitely grateful to occupy this specific reality.

So no, my younger self wouldn’t have believed it. Porter, thank you for genuinely engaging with my album and understanding both my work and my perspective. I’ve experienced countless writing sessions where someone claims to have started an idea “inspired by me,” only to reduce my sound to an awkward caricature by exaggerating a single trope without grasping the core essence.

Musically and conceptually, I felt completely understood the moment Porter shared his initial concept. While I could have built a wonderful career without our paths crossing, getting to create this song is an incredible privilege. Thank you so much, Porter.

Porter, how does hearing that resonate with you?

Robinson: It aligns completely with my own feelings. Nina, your dedication and relentless work ethic over the years deserve immense recognition. The world truly caught on with I Love My Computer, which was a watershed moment for me as well. I was already an avid fan, but the absolute cohesion of that artistic vision was undeniable. Very few artists possess the rare ability to craft music that carries genuine emotional resonance and conceptual depth while maintaining high energy without crossing into corniness. Balancing beauty, emotion, and high-octane energy without triggering my personal aversion to certain stylistic clichés is extraordinarily difficult.

Yet Nina’s music achieves this effortlessly: her lyrical vulnerability is paired with instrumentals that transport you straight to the astral plane, overwhelming you with high-energy sonic assaults while preserving a soft, heartfelt core. It’s a breathtaking combination. It is abundantly clear why my entire fanbase resonates with Nina so deeply—she shares a parallel artistic lineage with everything I have cherished my entire life.

It is an absolute joy to witness this mutual admiration!

Robinson: That concept of feeling truly understood is something I connect with profoundly. In the past, when I heard music influenced by my 2010s output, it often felt like staring into a funhouse mirror—I felt slightly misinterpreted by the imitations. Today, however, artists like Nina and Frost Children are drawing from those sonic roots in a way that makes me feel deeply seen. I look at them and think, “They genuinely understood this art form, extracted its absolute best qualities, and are now introducing it to the world in an entirely new light.”

When I watched Nina’s set at Project Glow this past May and heard “iPod Touch” drop, I literally thought, “Someone is definitely about to film me crying in the crowd right now.” Nina is the absolute greatest. I’ll dial back the praise before it gets overwhelming, but collaborating alongside an artist of Nina’s caliber means the world to me.

Ninajirachi: Oh, thank you! Wow, that means the world. I know you already know this, but your music fundamentally transformed the lives of myself, Lulu Frost, and countless others. The first time Lulu and I met in person, we ended up at a diner geeking out: “Oh my God, you have the Worlds tattoo too?” We immediately started swapping stories about where we got our ink and where we were the exact moment we first heard “Divinity.”

Porter, your music had a profound impact on me even prior to Worlds, but that album utterly reshaped our lives and the cultural landscape for so many listeners. That cultural footprint remains very much alive today. You achieved that. You are the greatest of all time. Thank you so much.

Robinson: Thank you. Knowing my work brought meaning to people is the greatest reward.

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