Reaction to Article about Claire Boucher (a.k.a Grimes)

Grimes (also known as Claire Boucher) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Her style is unique, but she has been called “the next Lady Gaga,” due to her eccentric outfits, unusual voice, and her image in general. A few of her inspirations are Bikini Kill and Mariah Carey, proven by the fact that she enjoys playing “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey during her d.j. sets (even in August). Having only heard Grimes’ music (songs like “Genesis” and “Oblivion”) and watched her interviews and music videos, it is strange and exciting to get a glimpse of her thought process. She is passionate about her beliefs, in feminism, social injustice, and environmental issues. She is also very self-critical, judging her music harshly, trying to create a final product that meets her expectations. This is evidence that people who are very talented at what they do, who are even famous for it, still struggle with self-criticism. Grimes’ songs are inspired by her favorite genres of books, sci-fi and fiction, and it definitely shows in their haunting vocals and unusual sounds. She tends to avoid pop, her songs are darker, with lyrics that are often hard to interpret. Some songs stray towards EDM, but most are quieter, and almost eerie.

In this article, Pop for Misfits by Kelefa Sanneh, Grimes allows readers a glimpse into her life, both onstage and off. She admits to once telling her Catholic school classmates that she was the devil, and then spider-walking like Linda Blair down the stairs. This eccentricity (and morbidity) hasn’t faded as she’s grown older. Despite loving what she does, Grimes does have moments of exhaustion, sickness, and embarrassment, like any other person, and faces the fear that accompanies live performances every time she gets on stage. Grimes didn’t expect her song “Oblivion” to become famous, and now doesn’t really like to listen to it, due to the fact that the lyrics allude to a scarring assault she’d prefer to forget. Each time she performs it, she has to think about a traumatic experience. This article reveals a genuine, “normal” side of Claire Boucher, a side that isn’t shown when she performs under the name Grimes. This description of her life, entrance into the music industry, writing process, and experience with fame makes me appreciate her so much more. The fact that she hides when her Thai food is being delivered to avoid recognition, or that she has a Mongolian flag on her bedroom wall (in tribute to Genghis Khan, about whom she was considering writing a song), adds depth to my image of her. Grimes has always been an artist I admired and was curious about, but after reading this article, I have some new insight into the mind of Claire Boucher, and what it’s like to be Grimes.