Canadian artist Claire Boucher, more popularly known as Grimes, has been treading heavily through the pop music scene of the last decade. Reaching impressive heights of success, Grimes’ journey carries more weight when considering her unconventional rise to the top. Writing and producing her own music, Grimes has created some of the most profound tracks of genres from electronic music to synth-pop.
The Grimes Identity
With the shock factor of an early Lady Gaga and the voice of a distant Björk, Grimes has a sound that is completely unique in both style and presentation. Beautiful melodies and curdling screams are harmonized in the world of Grimes, where aggression and beauty coincide. Her music is respected by critics and loved by the public, even though it walks a path exclusive to Boucher. Grimes may be producing music that will save pop from itself, but martyrdom may be the only option.
Technology obsessed Grimes often uses her music to comment on topics that range from artificial intelligence (AI) to sexual assault, but the genius lies in the fact that most listeners aren’t even sure what is being said. Her vocals are often layered multiple times, which can create a fogged string of humming and blur the words of her music. It isn’t easy to trick someone into loving a song about female aggression disguised as a pop anthem, which seats Grimes as a master of social commentary.
She has planted her feet in the music industry and wants to be known for her collective talents while taking as much responsibility for her own work as possible. Her search for artistic control shows beyond the tunes themselves, where she has been seen directing her own music videos and using them to add another layer of expression. Whether it be performing her interpretation of a Bosch painting or modeling as a “Neon Genesis Evangelion” resemblance, Grimes’ videos refuse to fit into any popular mold.
The Human Identity
Outside of her musical expression, she has publicly positioned herself as a feminist and has even used her social media to publish a “feminist manifesto.” She has made stances against double standards in the music industry and discussed how she refuses the proclamation to have to bend her beliefs to reach the same success that male counterparts can easily attain. She’s also had to defend against claims that have suggested her feminism is blinding her judgment towards men, which often strengthens her initial arguments. Despite her willingness to advocate for femininity, Boucher isn’t afraid to admit that men can have a positive influence. Her relationship with Tesla executive Elon Musk has stirred a lot of attention to the artist in ways she couldn’t have anticipated. After recently changing her name to c, Boucher admits that her romantic situation and its publicity influenced her to detach her personal and professional life.
It would seem as though Grimes has positioned herself in the best seat in the industry. Her music is adored and her brand is respected (while also, albeit, sometimes misunderstood) and she has made it her mission to maintain her status without compromise, but her status may never reach its deserved spotlight.
Although Grimes’ work speaks volumes, it may never gain the traction it needs. When considering the “instagrammable” generation of perfect standards, her image doesn’t hold a candle to the lip gloss and drama that feeds the pop machine. Grimes never claimed to be the innocent pop queen who writes about purely relatable and optimized topics, and it may just be the thing that kills her (career). Until a shift is found in either the public or the artist, Grimes may never find the platform she could change the world on.
Everything Else
Take away her musical accolades, respectable position on social issues and stage name, Boucher remains to be unforgivably fun. She has been seen streaming on Twitch and commenting on her love for anime, comics and video games. She’s also no stranger to fantasy-filled topics and entertaining the idea of interplanetary involvement. At the core of her success and fame lies a girl who remains to be unbridled despite the hands that try to tie her down.
In a world of formulaic, chart obsessive beats and predictable lyrics, Grimes stands out by making pop for the people in the back of the room. There isn’t any underlying vanity in her projects because every track is dedicated to undisturbed artistry. Grimes makes the kind of music that could be used to dance the night away, while also making music that can make you hypnotically stop in your tracks and entrancingly listen.
With the release of her latest track “We Appreciate Power,” Grimes has made it clear that her next album will be as hard a hitter as its predecessors, with the momentum of her snowballing desire to create omnipresent art that breaks the assembly line run by the music industry.