"Skin" by Grimes

Clair Boucher, better known by her stage name: Grimes.

Hey, guys! It's Lindsey here for my first Tuesday post!

Canadian artist Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, started producing music during her time at Montréal's McGill University. She eventually left the university in order to pursue her music career. Her sound can be explained as "electronic, experimental, dream pop" (at least, it is by Wikipedia), and she is relatively unknown to most music listeners. I happened by her music only by accident (a youtube video on the sidebar for another youtube video) and at first, I didn't...exactly...like her. I thought her sound was just a little too strange and a little too...different from anything I'd listened to before. But after giving her song "Genesis" another listen, I started to enjoy her sound and eventually bought her entire album. Really, her exact "sound" is hard to describe. She's definitely an eclectic artist and describes her music as "ADD music" because it changes frequently and dramatically. Her primary instruments are keyboards and synthesizers, and she is known for using layering and looping techniques, especially with her vocals. The artists who have inspired her range from Marilyn Manson and Nirvana to Beyoncé and Mariah Carey.

There are plenty of amazing songs by Grimes, but the song "Skin" on the album Visions is by far my personal favorite.  It's one of the last tracks on the album and probably one of the most beautiful. The song is dreamy and poetic and...surreal. (Can the word "surreal" apply to a song? If it can, it applies to this one.) Despite it's echoey, poetically beautiful nature, it's one of her sadder songs. It's a song about being with somebody you love who you know isn't capable of loving you back. (And by "being with somebody"...well, sex.) Unrequited love is something anyone can relate to, and the way it's presented in this song just makes it even more meaningful. 

Below is a youtube video that has the song. I'll put the lyrics below the video. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Soft skin

You touch me within and so I know I could be human once again

I know you're faced with something

That could consume you completely

Soft skin

You touch me once again and somehow it stings

'Cos I know it is the end

I hate that you're leaving

So why don't you talk to me?

You act like nothing ever happened

But it meant the world to me

And you can't and you can't see the wind in the trees

And you can't and you can't see the wind in the leaves

And you can't and you can't see the weight in the dark

And you can't and you can't see the weight in my heart

Soft skin

I'll have you be near my heart

Until I feel human

Soft skin

You were never in love to begin with

So now I'm suffering

Rating: 4.5 RECORDS

Information: Wikipedia - Grimes
Photo: The Gloss