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By now, you’ve probably seen Grimes’ music video for “Genesis.”  (If you haven’t, here you go.)

You’ve also probably scratched your head over what, exactly, it all means, and who, exactly, it’s featuring.

We’ve already broken down her insane–in a good way–outfits, but here is a bit more insight into what it’s all about. Read up, so you can impress your friends when the video inevitably comes up in conversation this weekend.

THE PEOPLE

Claire Boucher: You know her as Grimes. She once told me she wanted to style her hair like a old school Japanese warrior (shaving the back of her head, while putting the front part in a ponytail) but every time she crossed the border the Canadian immigration officials would give her trouble, so she gave up on the idea. The bleached blonde semi-dreads extensions are a nice alternative.

Brooke Candy: An L.A. rapper who also posts Photoshopped pics of  herself on Tumblr. She’s the hot pink-haired, metal-bodiced, sword-wielding woman who shows up throughout the video.

TOKiMONSTA: Another L.A.-based musician, this one a classically trained pianist. That’s her in the desert with a black hat, dress, and a sword.

THE INSPIRATION

Jean Paul Gaultier: You see it in the clothing (think of that metal bodice as the 21st century equivalent of the Madonna cone bra), as well as the cast of fringe-of-society characters. That scene where it looks like a bunch of merrymakers in the woods? They could all be walking down JPG’s spring ’13 runway and I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

Tank Girl: Gwen Stefani before Gwen Stefani existed. (Well, at least in her No Doubt incarnation.) A comic strip turned cult ’90s movie that you need to watch if you’ve never seen.  Desert riot-grrrl fighters is the best way to put it.

Hieronymus Bosch: A Dutch painter who tackled “moral and religious concepts and narratives” (thanks Wikipedia!) through his fantastical imagery. One of his most famous pieces is “Garden of Earthly Delights,” which features lots of bodies and, we imagine, an albino snake somewhere in there. The scenes driving the SUV into the desert–and then reclining in the forest–seem like a modern day interpretation of Bosch.
–REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

Are we missing anything? Let us know in the comments.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2012 at 3:18 pm and is filed under Press Play. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.