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Grimes, known offstage as Claire Elise Boucher, began shaping her experimental sound in the underground music scene of Montreal after relocating from Vancouver in the late 2000s. While attending McGill University, she immersed herself in visual art and electronic music production, setting the stage for what would become one of the most genre-defying careers in modern pop. Working independently, she released her first two albums in 2010—Geidi Primes and Halfaxa. These early records fused elements of industrial, dream pop, and lo-fi aesthetics, laying the foundation for a new kind of sonic identity that would set her apart from mainstream artists.
The breakout came in 2012 with her third studio album, Visions, released on Arbutus Records and 4AD. The album was written, recorded, and produced entirely by Grimes in her apartment over a three-week period, demonstrating her independent ethos and DIY commitment. The lead single, “Oblivion,” became an unexpected critical success, topping multiple year-end lists, including Pitchfork’s Best Song of 2012. The album itself was shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize and won Electronic Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. With Visions, she proved that intricate production, ethereal vocals, and deeply personal songwriting could be packaged into a singular vision that still reached a wide audience.
Her fourth album, Art Angels, arrived in 2015 and marked a dramatic shift in her sound. Brighter, bolder, and more accessible, it featured tracks like “Flesh Without Blood” and “Kill V. Maim,” both of which showcased her ability to merge pop energy with avant-garde style. The album was met with widespread acclaim—NME named it the best album of the year—and it confirmed her status not just as an innovator in indie-electronica, but as a dominant force in contemporary pop culture. Grimes took on every aspect of the album’s creation: she wrote, produced, performed, engineered, and even directed the visuals, pushing the limits of what one person could accomplish independently in the digital age.
Following the success of Art Angels, Grimes took more time before releasing her fifth album, Miss Anthropocene, in 2020. A concept album centered on themes of climate change and technology personified through a goddess-like figure, the project allowed her to explore darker and more cinematic terrain. Tracks such as “Delete Forever,” “Violence,” and “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” displayed her continued interest in blending emotional vulnerability with complex sonic landscapes. The album received strong reviews and topped year-end lists once again, demonstrating her consistency and artistic growth over a decade in the business.
Grimes is not only a musician but a multidisciplinary artist whose creativity extends into visual design, digital art, and performance aesthetics. She’s been involved in designing her own album artwork, directing her music videos, and staging immersive live performances. Her artistic sensibility is also evident in collaborations outside of music: she has partnered with fashion brands such as Saint Laurent and Stella McCartney and created a digital capsule wardrobe as part of her NFT ventures. In 2021, she entered the blockchain art world with a series of NFT releases that brought in millions of dollars, cementing her place at the cutting edge of tech-art intersections.
In addition to studio albums, she has released numerous standalone singles and collaborations. These include contributions to film and TV, such as “Medieval Warfare” on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, and appearances with artists like Janelle Monáe and Bring Me the Horizon. Her ability to effortlessly cross genres—from industrial pop to sci-fi balladry—makes her one of the most unpredictable and adventurous artists of the last 15 years.
Grimes’s work is often infused with philosophical and science fiction themes, touching on transhumanism, AI, and the future of art in a post-human world. This intellectual curiosity sets her apart and brings academic weight to her discography. Whether she’s referencing anime, 20th-century theory, or the ethics of machine consciousness, she’s never content to deliver surface-level content. Each album comes with its own world-building, complete with alternate personas, mythological references, and visual symbols that demand deep attention.
Outside of her professional work, her personal life became a global talking point due to her high-profile relationship with Elon Musk. The couple has three children together and has remained in the media spotlight, especially as Grimes continued her public commentary on AI, gender, and the future of human evolution. Though her fame grew through these associations, she consistently redirected attention back to her art, ensuring that her body of work—not tabloid headlines—defined her career.
Her accolades span both critical and industry acclaim. She’s won multiple Juno Awards, received widespread recognition from international press outlets, and has built a reputation as a singular creative voice in music and art. In 2013, she was named Artist of the Year by the Webby Awards, and her continued recognition in global media outlets speaks to the lasting impression of her artistic contributions. Whether performing on major festival stages or releasing experimental tracks from her home studio, Grimes retains full creative control over her music and public image.
Her refusal to be boxed in by genre or expectation has become part of her legacy. She has repeatedly emphasized the importance of artistic autonomy and the value of building independent platforms, often speaking out about the challenges female producers face in the music industry. As a producer, engineer, and performer of her own work, she is one of the few women in the industry with complete authorship over her sound, and she’s used that platform to call for greater inclusivity and recognition for others following in her path.
To date, Grimes has released five studio albums, numerous EPs, and dozens of singles. Each album builds on the last, reflecting her continual reinvention and evolution as an artist. Her music resists easy classification but always returns to themes of identity, futurism, and emotional conflict. She continues to hint at a sixth studio album, teasing fragments online and using platforms like TikTok and Discord to engage with fans in unconventional ways.
As of now, Grimes remains one of the most influential voices at the intersection of music, visual art, and digital culture. Her influence can be felt not only in the sonic innovations she’s brought to pop and electronic music, but in the way she’s redefined what it means to be a multi-platform artist in the 21st century. Her career continues to evolve in tandem with the technology she often sings about, making her not only a chronicler of modern life but one of its most original architects.
Complete List Of Grimes Songs From A to Z
- 4ÆM – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Ambrosia – Visions – 2012
- Angel – Visions – 2012
- Artangels – Art Angels – 2015
- Avi – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Be a Body (侘寂) – Visions – 2012
- Be a Body (Baardsen Rework) – Visions – 2012
- Be a Body (Tokori Remix) – Visions – 2012
- Beast Infection – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Before the Fever – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Belly of the Beat – Art Angels – 2015
- Butterfly – Art Angels – 2015
- Caladan – Geidi Primes – 2010
- California – Art Angels – 2015
- Christmas Song (featuring Jay Worthy) – Visions – 2012
- Circumambient – Visions – 2012
- Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus) (featuring Doldrums) – Visions – 2012
- Cry (Ashnikko featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2020
- Dark Come Soon (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2017
- Darkseid (with 潘PAN) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Darkseid (Richie Hawtin remix) (featuring 潘PAN) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Delicate Weapon (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2020
- Delete Forever – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Delete Forever (Channel Tres remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Devon – Halfaxa – 2010
- Dragvandil – Halfaxa – 2010
- Dream Fortress – Halfaxa – 2010
- Easily – Art Angels – 2015
- Eight – Visions – 2012
- Entropy (with Bleachers) – Non-album single – 2015
- Favriel – Halfaxa – 2010
- Feyd Rautha Dark Heart – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Flesh Without Blood – Art Angels – 2015
- Fly to You (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2023
- Gambang – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Genesis – Visions – 2012
- Genesis (Skip Remix) – Visions – 2012
- Go (featuring Blood Diamonds) – Non-album single – 2014
- Go (BloodPop Remix) – Art Angels – 2015
- Golden Calf (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2013
- Grisgris – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Hallways – Halfaxa – 2010
- Heartbeats – Halfaxa – 2010
- Heaven (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2015
- I Wanna Be Software (with Illangelo) – Non-album single – 2023
- Idoru (algorithm mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Idoru (Art Mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Idoru (Modeselektor remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Image (Grimes Special) (with Magdalena Bay) – Non-album single – 2024
- Infinite ♡ Without Fulfilment – Visions – 2012
- Intor / Flowers – Halfaxa – 2010
- Kill V. Maim – Art Angels – 2015
- know the way (outro) – Visions – 2012
- Last Day / Новый День (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2022
- Laughing and Not Being Normal – Art Angels – 2015
- Life After Death – Visions – 2012
- Life in the Vivid Dream – Art Angels – 2015
- Love4eva (Loona yyxy featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2018
- Medieval Warfare – Non-album single – 2016
- My Name Is Dark (algorithm mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- My Name Is Dark (art mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- My Name Is Dark (Julien Bracht remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- My Sister Says the Saddest Things – Halfaxa – 2010
- New Gods – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- New Gods (Tale of Us & Âme remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Nihilist Blues (Bring Me the Horizon featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2019
- Nightmusic (featuring Majical Cloudz) – Visions – 2012
- No Man’s Land (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2022
- Nothing Lasts Forever (with Sevdaliza) – Non-album single – 2023
- Oblivion – Visions – 2012
- Oblivion (Baardsen Remix) – Visions – 2012
- Outer – Halfaxa – 2010
- Phone Sex (Blood Diamonds featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2012
- Pin – Art Angels – 2015
- Play Destroy (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2018
- Player of Games – Non-album single – 2021
- Pretty Dark – Non-album single – 2019
- Pynk (Janelle Monáe featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2018
- Realiti – Art Angels – 2015
- Realiti (demo) – Art Angels – 2015
- Rosa – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Sagrad Прекрасный – Halfaxa – 2010
- Sardaukar Levenbrech – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Scream (featuring Aristophanes) – Art Angels – 2015
- Shadout Mapes – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Sheesh (Benee featuring Grimes) – Non-album single – 2020
- Shinigami Eyes – Non-album single – 2022
- Skin – Visions – 2012
- So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth (algorithm mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth (ANNA remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth (art mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Song for Ric (featuring Majical Cloudz) – Visions – 2012
- Swan Song – Halfaxa – 2010
- Symphonia IX (my wait is u) – Visions – 2012
- Take Me Away (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2014
- The Medicine Does Not Control Me (guest appearance) – Non-album single – 2018
- Venus Fly (featuring Janelle Monáe) – Art Angels – 2015
- Venus in Fleurs – Geidi Primes – 2010
- Violence (with I_o) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Violence (with I_o) (club mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Violence (REZZ remix) (featuring I_o) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Visiting Statue – Visions – 2012
- Vowels = Space and Time – Visions – 2012
- We Appreciate Power (algorithm mix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- We Appreciate Power (BloodPop remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- We Appreciate Power (featuring Hana) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Welcome to the Opera (with Anyma) – Genesys – 2023
- Weregild – Halfaxa – 2010
- World ♡ Princess – Halfaxa – 2010
- World Princess Part II – Art Angels – 2015
- You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around (Things You Say remix) – Miss Anthropocene – 2020
- Zoal, Face Dancer – Geidi Primes – 2010
- † River † – Halfaxa – 2010
- ∆∆∆∆Rasik∆∆∆∆ – Halfaxa – 2010
- ≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈ – Halfaxa – 2010
Albums
Geidi Primes (2010): 11 songs
Halfaxa (2010): 16 songs
Visions (2012): 22 songs
Art Angels (2015): 16 songs
Miss Anthropocene (2020): 25 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Grimes articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
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