Grimes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grimes
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Grimes in 2014
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Claire Elise Boucher
March 17, 1988 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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| Other names | c |
| Alma mater | McGill University (unfinished) |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
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| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Jay Worthy (stepbrother) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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Claire Elise Boucher (born March 17, 1988), known as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. She also produces her own music. Her songs often explore themes like science fiction and feminism. Her music videos are known for their detailed and imaginative visuals, sometimes featuring fantasy elements. Grimes has released five studio albums.
Born in Vancouver, Grimes started making music on her own after moving to Montreal in 2006. She released her first two albums, Geidi Primes and Halfaxa, in 2010. She then signed with 4AD and became well-known with her 2012 album, Visions. This album won a Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year. Her fourth album, Art Angels, came out in 2015 and was named one of the best albums of the year by many critics. Her fifth album, Miss Anthropocene, was released in 2020.
Besides music, Grimes voiced a character in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077. She was also a judge on the music competition show Alter Ego. She has three children with Elon Musk.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 17, 1988. Her mother, Sandy Garossino, was a lawyer and supported the arts. Her father, Maurice Boucher, worked in biotechnology. Grimes has French Canadian, Ukrainian, and Italian family roots. Her grandmother came to Canada from Ukraine.
Grimes and her younger brother, Mac, grew up in a Roman Catholic family and went to Catholic school in Vancouver. She later said her religious upbringing greatly influenced her. Her parents divorced when she was 11. Her mother later remarried, and Grimes gained two stepbrothers, including Jay Worthy, a hip hop artist.
In 2006, Grimes finished high school and moved to Montreal. She attended McGill University to study arts and science, focusing on electro-acoustics. She left the university in 2010.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out: 2009–2011
Grimes began writing music in 2007. She chose her stage name because on Myspace, artists could list three music genres. She picked "grime" three times, even though she didn't know what the grime music genre was. Grimes taught herself music and visual art.
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In January 2010, Grimes released her first album, Geidi Primes. This album was inspired by the Dune book series. Her second album, Halfaxa, followed in October of the same year. After Halfaxa, she started promoting her music and touring outside of Montreal. In 2011, Grimes released five songs on a split EP called Darkbloom. She also opened for Lykke Li on her North American tour. In August 2011, Geidi Primes was re-released on CD and vinyl. She also worked with DJ/producer Blood Diamonds in 2011.
Breakthrough with Visions: 2011–2014
After touring and getting good reviews for her early work, Grimes signed with the record label 4AD in January 2012. Her third studio album, Visions, was released in early 2012. This album was a big success for Grimes. NME included it on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2013. Visions won the Electronic Album of the Year Award at the Junos. Grimes also won the Artist of the Year Award at the 2013 Webbys.
The album's second single, "Oblivion", was named the best song of 2012 by Pitchfork. Grimes toured for Visions from 2012 to 2014. In March 2012, Grimes worked with Tim Lafontaine as Membrain, releasing an EP called Sit Back, Rewind. Grimes also toured with Diplo and Skrillex in July 2012. She made her first American TV appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in August 2012.
In April 2013, Grimes shared her experiences as a female musician, noting challenges with sexism. She emphasized her desire to produce all her own albums, saying, "I don't wanna be just like the face of this thing I built, I want to be the one who built it." In December 2013, Grimes began working with Jay-Z's management company, Roc Nation.
Success with Art Angels: 2014–2017
On June 26, 2014, Grimes released a new song called "Go," which she produced with Blood Diamonds. This song was originally written for Rihanna. Rolling Stone listed it as one of the best songs of 2014. In July 2014, Grimes was featured on Bleachers' song "Take Me Away." She also appeared in the music video for a remix of Haim's "My Song 5" in August 2014.
On March 8, 2015, Grimes released a self-directed video for a demo version of "Realiti." This song was from an album she later decided not to release. Critics praised it, with Pitchfork calling it the "best new Grimes song since Visions." In March 2015, Grimes and Bleachers released their song "Entropy" for the HBO show Girls. In summer 2015, Grimes toured with Lana Del Rey on some of her Endless Summer Tour dates. She then headlined her own Rhinestone Cowgirls Tour in fall 2015.
Grimes's fourth album, Art Angels, was released in November 2015. She said she used "real instruments" on this record, moving away from her earlier synth-focused sound. The album received excellent reviews. NME, Exclaim!, and Stereogum named Art Angels the best album of the year. It reached number 1 on the Billboard US Top Alternative Album Chart. Grimes won the 2016 International award at the Socan Annual Awards.
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In spring 2016, Grimes toured Asia and Europe on the Ac!d Reign Tour. She continued touring through summer 2016, performing at music festivals and opening for Florence and the Machine. Grimes released music videos for "Kill V. Maim" and "California" from Art Angels. On August 3, 2016, she released "Medieval Warfare" for the soundtrack of the 2016 superhero film, ... Squad.
On October 5, 2016, Grimes and her friend Hana released "The Ac!d Reign Chronicles." This was a series of seven low-budget music videos filmed on iPhones during their European tour. In 2016, Grimes co-wrote the song "Heaven" for Troye Sivan's album Blue Neighbourhood.
On February 2, 2017, Grimes released the music video for "Venus Fly," featuring Janelle Monáe. She won Best Dance Video for "Venus Fly" at the Much Music Video Awards. In 2017, Grimes won a JUNO Award for Video of the Year for "Kill V. Maim." On October 19, 2017, Grimes released a cover of Tegan and Sara's "Dark Come Soon" with Hana.
Recent Work: 2018–Present
In February 2018, Grimes mentioned that new music would be delayed due to issues with her label, 4AD. She later announced plans to release two albums, one with 4AD and another with a different label.
On April 10, 2018, Grimes was featured on "Pynk" from Janelle Monáe's album Dirty Computer. On May 30, 2018, she was featured on "Love4Eva" by Loona yyxy. In June 2018, she appeared in an Apple video, previewing a song later released as "My Name Is Dark". Grimes also composed the theme music for Netflix's animated series Hilda in 2018.
On November 29, 2018, Grimes released the single "We Appreciate Power" featuring Hana. She performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in December 2018. Grimes also appeared on Bring Me the Horizon's "Nihilist Blues" from their album Amo.
On August 13, 2019, Grimes announced the first single from her upcoming album, Miss Anthropocene. She released the music video for "Violence" on September 5, 2019. Miss Anthropocene was released on February 21, 2020. On February 12, 2020, she released the single "Delete Forever". On February 27, 2020, Grimes released a music video for "Idoru." On April 1, 2020, she released a music video for "You'll Miss Me When I'm Not Around" and asked fans to help finish it. On June 17, 2020, Grimes was featured on Ashnikko's song "Cry".
Grimes appeared on The Eric Andre Show. Her song "Oblivion" was featured in the TV series I May Destroy You. She collaborated with Benee on the song "Sheesh" in November 2020. Her song "Kill V Maim" was in the soundtrack of the 2020 film Mainstream. In December 2020, Grimes released a Cyberpunk 2077-themed DJ mix album with two new songs, "Samana" and "Delicate Weapon." On December 18, 2020, Grimes changed the cover art for Miss Anthropocene to a painting she loved. On January 1, 2021, she released Miss Anthropocene: Rave Edition, a remix album.
On March 5, 2021, Grimes signed with Columbia Records. In May, she appeared on Saturday Night Live as Princess Peach. Her song "California" was featured in the animated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. In June, she appeared in Doja Cat's music video "Need to Know".
Later in June 2021, Grimes started a Discord server and a podcast called "Homo Techno." She used Discord to share snippets of new music, including "Shinigami Eyes." In July 2021, Grimes became a judge on Alter Ego, a singing competition where contestants use motion capture to create "dream avatars." She also made a cameo in Discord: The Movie. On September 30, Grimes released "Love" in response to her separation from Elon Musk. On December 3, she announced her sixth album, Book 1, and released the single "Player of Games."
In January 2022, Grimes partnered with the video game Rocket League for an event featuring her songs. She also announced a 10th-anniversary vinyl for Visions. On January 26, she released "Shinigami Eyes." A week later, on February 3, 2022, Grimes announced her upcoming EP titled Fairies ... First. In April, she was featured on "Last Day" by the Russian band IC3PEAK. Grimes was featured in the music video for Bella Poarch's "Dolls" in July. Grimes opened for Swedish House Mafia on some dates of their "Paradise Again Tour." She also appeared on Bella Poarch's song "No Man's Land" in August.
In August 2022, Grimes was featured on the cover of Vogue Plus China, where she discussed her upcoming collaboration with The Weeknd, a song called "Sci Fi." She also mentioned having twenty songs for her next album, possibly split into two. In January 2023, Grimes updated fans on her delayed album Book 1, saying her career was now a "side quest" and her family was her priority. On January 31, it was announced that Grimes would feature on Caroline Polachek's song "Fly to You," released in February.
In April 2023, Grimes invited people to use her voice in AI-generated songs, saying she liked the idea of "killing copyright." On June 8, Grimes released "Welcome to the Opera" with Anyma. On July 28, she released "I Wanna Be Software" with Illangelo. On November 3, Grimes collaborated with Sevdaliza on "Nothing Lasts Forever." In December, she partnered with Curio to launch an interactive AI toy named "Grok," for which she provided the voice.
In April 2024, Grimes DJed at Coachella, but her set was cut short due to technical problems. She explained that her tracks were playing at double speed, causing issues. Media outlets called it a difficult performance.
On September 20, 2024, Grimes released a remix of "Supernova" by K-pop group Aespa. On October 29, 2024, she released a remix of Magdalena Bay's "Image." Magdalena Bay had previously said Grimes inspired their work.
Grimes co-produced Adéla's song "Machine Girl," released on February 28, 2025, and made a cameo in its music video.
Artistic Style
Musical Sound
Grimes's music combines many styles, including synth-pop, electropop, art pop, indie pop, and dream pop. It also has elements of dance-pop, pop, avant-garde pop, lo-fi, and electronic music. Her songs sometimes include sounds from rock, hip hop, R&B, folk, drum and bass, and classical music.
For her album Art Angels, Grimes learned to play guitar and violin. She wanted to move away from being seen only as a "synth-pop" artist. Rolling Stone described this album as moving from "hazy synth-pop toward an off-kilter guitars-and-beats sound." Grimes described her fifth album, Miss Anthropocene, as "mostly ethereal nu metal." The Guardian said her music sounds like a mix of everything you've heard, yet also like nothing you've heard before.
Grimes is a soprano singer. Her voice is often described as "sweet, thin and hazy." She uses looping and layering techniques, especially with her vocals. Many of her songs have over fifty different vocal tracks, creating an "ethereal" or dreamy sound. Her song lyrics often explore science fiction, feminism, and climate change. Her album Miss Anthropocene is a concept album about a goddess of climate change, inspired by Roman mythology.
Grimes calls her music "ADD music" because it changes frequently. She said that Panda Bear's 2007 album Person Pitch helped her understand songwriting. She explained that before that, she mostly made "weird atonal drone music" with no sense of song structure.
Musical Inspirations
Grimes's work has been compared to artists like Björk, Julianna Barwick, Siouxsie Sioux, and Enya. She has said she loves British rock bands such as Bring Me the Horizon and Foals. Tastemakers Magazine described her as an "alien love-child of Aphex Twin and ABBA." While making Visions, she listened to artists like Aphex Twin, Michael Jackson, Nine Inch Nails, and Mariah Carey.
Grimes has mentioned Blink-182 as an influence. She considers Blue Hawaii "a big part of [her] family in Montreal." She also said Cocteau Twins were one of the first "alternative" bands she liked. In a tweet, Grimes mentioned Chris Isaak, St. Vincent, and Mindless Self Indulgence as recent influences. The ideas for her album Halfaxa were inspired by Hildegard of Bingen.
Before her album Art Angels, Grimes described one song as a glam rock track inspired by David Bowie and Queen. Art Angels was also influenced by Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and The Godfather movies. Other influences include the Spice Girls, Marilyn Manson, OutKast, Skinny Puppy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Kate Bush, Al Green, Trent Reznor, Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beyoncé, and Paramore.
Visual Artistry
Grimes designs the album art for all her albums, as well as gig posters and merchandise. She has held exhibitions to show her artwork. She says she has "always been a visual artist." Her art is inspired by Japanese anime, manga, and comic artists. Her illustrations have been shown in galleries, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. She created an alternate cover for Image Comics' The Wicked + The Divine. In 2013, she designed a collection of t-shirts for Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent. She also organized an event in New York City to raise money for the Native Women's Association of Canada. In early 2021, she sold digital art as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for millions of dollars. In May 2022, she joined the board of Unicorn DAO to support art projects led by women and non-binary artists.
Personal Life
Grimes's brother, Mac Boucher, has helped create many of her music videos, including "Violence," "Go," "Realiti," and "Venus Fly." She also collaborated with her stepbrother, Jay Worthy, on the song "Christmas Song."
In 2009, Grimes and a friend tried to travel from Minneapolis to New Orleans on the Mississippi River in a homemade houseboat. The boat was later stopped by authorities.
Grimes has mentioned that she has autism. She has also said she is comfortable with gender-neutral pronouns.
Grimes has three children. She was in a relationship with Elon Musk from 2018 to 2021, and they have three children together. Since March 2024, Grimes has been in a relationship with American DJ Anyma.
Discography
Studio albums
- Geidi Primes (2010)
- Halfaxa (2010)
- Visions (2012)
- Art Angels (2015)
- Miss Anthropocene (2020)
Film and Television Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
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| 2011 | Tabula Rasa | Saint-Boniface | Short film | |
| 2018 | Hilda | N/A | 34 episodes; theme music composer only | |
| 2020 | The Eric Andre Show | Herself | Episode: "The ASAP Ferg Show" | |
| 2021 | Saturday Night Live | Princess Peach | Episode: "Elon Musk/Miley Cyrus"; uncredited | |
| 2021 | Discord: The Movie | Herself | Short film; cameo | |
| 2021 | Alter Ego | Judge | 11 episodes |
Video Game Roles
| Year | Title | Voice role | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Cyberpunk 2077 | Lizzy Wizzy |
Tours
Headlining Tours
- Halfaxa Tour (Canada, 2010) (co-headlined with Pop Winds)
- Darkbloom Tour (North America and Europe, 2011) (supported by Doldrums and Majical Cloudz)
- Visions Tour (World, 2012–2014) (supported by Born Gold, Myths, Elite Gymnastics, Ami Dang)
- Rhinestone Cowgirls Tour (North America, 2015) (supported by Nicole Dollanganger)
- Ac!d Reign Tour (Asia/Europe, 2016) (supported by Hana, Aristophanes, Lupa J)
- March of the Pugs Tour (North America, 2016) (supported by Hana, Tei Shi, Christine and the Queens)
Supporting Tours
- Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes Tour (2011)
- Diplo and Skrillex – Full Flex Express Canadian Train Tour (2012)
- Lana Del Rey – The Endless Summer Tour (2015)
- Florence and the Machine – How Beautiful Tour (2016)
- Swedish House Mafia – Paradise Again Tour (2022)
Awards and Nominations
See also
In Spanish: Grimes (cantante) para niños
