6x Platinum and 8x Gold-certified, record-breaking Finnish rock outfit THE RASMUS has today (July 11, via Better Noise Music and Playground Music) released “Love Is A Bitch,” described by lead singer Lauri Ylönen as a “wildcard” track for the band. Known for their musically dark atmospheres, the band subversively merges catchy modern pop stylings with stadium-sized guitar crunch in this sardonic song about relationships.
“‘This song was always a wildcard,” says singer 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. It arrives September 12, marking THE RASMUS’ 11th studio album and first for Better Noise Music. Listen to “Love Is A Bitch” HERE and watch the video on the band’s official YouTube page HERE. Pre-orders and limited-edition merchandise bundles are available now HERE.
“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 508k views, while “Creatures of Chaos” arrived March 28, with the video racking up over 771k 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 620k 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, 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 11th 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 their unforgettable stage show to audiences worldwide in 2025 on the “Weirdo Tour,” 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 (9/12 – 12/6), while tickets for their 2026 shows will go on-sale July 17; see the full dates listed below.
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 Lauri Ylönen. We have a massive fan base in Ukraine and we’ve also previously done a joint song with the Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra.”
With their new album 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 #1 rock band, THE RASMUS stands at #1 on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and Deezer as far as followers, views, likes and streams. It is often said that the best bands are the ones which keep surprising you time and time again, in the most thrilling of ways. This is something that the 6x Platinum and 8x Gold-certified band have been doing since their major label debut and a creative responsibility they take great pride in. If you’ve listened to any of their albums, you’ll be able to hear a kaleidoscopic collage of heavy guitars against futuristic electronics, as well as pop hooks that can find their way into the heart of any kind of music fan. As a direct result, they’ve become one of Finland’s greatest musical exports, selling millions of records worldwide and winning award after award.
With its uncompromising vision and unapologetic message, WEIRDO is poised to be THE RASMUS’ most ambitious and impactful album yet. Here’s the album’s track list:
- Creatures of Chaos
- Break These Chains
- Rest in Pieces
- Dead Ringer
- Weirdo
- Banksy
- Love Is a Bitch
- You Want It All
- Bad Things
- I’m Coming for You
THE RASMUS “WEIRDO TOUR” 2025 DATES:
9/12 Tampere, FI – Tavara-Asema
9/13 Turku, FI – Logomo
9/19 Kuopio, FI – Sawohouse Underground
9/20 Oulu, FI – Tullisali
9/26 Seinäjoki, FI – Rytmikorjaamo
9/27 Jyväskylä, FI – Lutakko
10/03 Lahti, FI – Möysän Musaklubi
10/04 Joensuu, FI – Kerubi
10/17 Helsinki, FI – Tavastia
10/18 Helsinki, FI – Tavastia
10/23 Limassol, CY – Monte Caputo
10/25 Athens, GR – Floyd
10/27 Dubai, UAE – The Agenda
10/29 Tashkent, UZ – Palace of Alisher Navoy
10/31 Astana, KZ – Grand Hall by Wyndham
11/1 Almaty, KZ – Bakshasaray
11/3 Tbilisi, GE – Elektroyard
11/4 Baku, Az – Heydar Aaliyev Palace
11/6 Istanbul, TR – IF Performance Hall
11/8 Belgrade, RS – MTS Dvorana
11/11 Hamburg, DE – Markthalle
11/12 Berlin, DE – Metropol
11/13 Warsaw, PL – Stodola
11/14 Brno, CZ – Sono Centrum
11/15 Budapest, HU – Barba Negra
11/16 Vienna, AT – Simm City
11/17 Munich, DE – Technikum
11/18 Milan, IT – Alcatraz
11/20 Zurich, CH – Komplex 457
11/21 Karlsruhe, DE – Substage
11/22 Saarbrucken, DE – Garage
11/23 Frankfurt, DE – Batschkapp
11/25 Cologne, DE – Live Music Hall
11/26 Utrecht, NL – Tivoli
11/27 Antwerp, BE – Trix
11/28 Paris, FR – La Cigale
11/30 Glasgow, GB – SWG3 Galvanizers
12/1 Manchester, GB – O2 Ritz
12/2 Cardiff, GB – Great Hall
12/4 London, GB – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
12/5 Southampton, GB – 1865
12/6 Nottingham, GB – Rock City
12/10 Guadalajara, MX – Auditorio Telmex
12/12 Monterrey, MX – Auditorio Banamex
12/13 Mexico City, MX – Velodromo Olimpico
