a visual analysis of grimes' music video, "Genesis"

There are many visually striking moments in Grimes’ 2012 music video, “Genesis.” The track comes from Claire Boucher’s most recent album Visions, an ambitious collection of idiosyncratic electro-pop arias. Boucher directed “Genesis” herself, after working with John Londono on several other music videos including “Nightmusic” and “Vanessa.” Though these videos were largely successful, Boucher explained in a 2012 interview with Pitchfork, “that’s when I decided that I can never not direct a music video ever again. I didn’t want it to be a fashion ad. I don’t want to make things that look nice but don’t really do anything else… the concept was a lot bigger than how it turned out” (Batton, Pitchfork.com) While fashion may not have been her focus, it certainly plays no small part in “Genesis.”

Set to an ethereal prelude, the video opens in the desert at dusk: Grimes dances toward three women driving an Escalade, its headlights illuminate her long blond dreadlocks and formidable platform sneakers. The three women in the SUV appear intensely powerful, but they accept the strange hitchhiker on the road and continue onward. The scene cuts to a close-up of Brooke Candy on the beach, wearing a rashguard and bikini bottom. Her angular bangs, long fingernails and dramatic makeup create an impression of ferocity. She wears contacts that make her eyes appear white – almost demonic. Grimes wears a sparkling black shirt with leather motorcycle gloves and a black ball cap emblazoned with the word “PUSSY.” Both Grimes and Brooke Candy brandish heavy swords, which add to their dangerous appeal. Brooke Candy’s pink hair and Grimes’ sparkling shirt make a brief reference to girlish dress, but their sharp weapons and aggressive body language suggest their femininity is a threat. Candy’s pink braids and long nails also make a reference to the street style of young Latina women, while Grimes’ hat reclaims a once unfavorable slang term and asserts her confident sexuality.

The following scene shows all four women hanging out of their Escalade holding various medieval-looking weapons. Grimes sits atop the vehicle holding a mace. The video cuts to Brooke Candy walking down an LA Boulevard in a skimpy futuristic suit of armor. Grimes follows her, wearing an outfit that could only have been inspired by Sailor Moon. She holds an enormous albino boa constrictor. Though the two women have vastly different aesthetics, they both look like dangerous fantasy characters. Grimes’ doe-eyed innocence is balanced by the danger of her boa, and Brooke Candy’s pink hair and nails read as menacing because of her outrageous costume and aggressive dancing.

Claire Boucher explains that she likes “things that are cute and aggressive at the same time,” which explains the curious tone of this video (Batton, Pitchfork.com). The rest of the film is a collage of the aforementioned scenes, featuring snakes, flaming weapons and bubbles. The result is a puzzling but intriguing film that plays with stereotypical constructs of femininity but retains an air of fantasy. See the whole video here: http://www.grimesmusic.com/videos/

Bibliography:

Battan, Carrie. “Grimes: ‘Genesis.’” Last modified August 27, 2012.          http://pitchfork.com/features/directors-cut/8929-grimes/

Boucher, Claire. “Genesis.” http://www.grimesmusic.com/videos/