In a Tumblr post titled “I don”t want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living,” Grimes is letting sexist music “industry” members, press, fans and others know that she knows when you’re being sexist, rockist or biased, and to cut it the hell out.
The 4AD-signed singer saw great critical acclaim last year for her album “Visions” (and is an Immaculate Noise 2012 fave, and is fresh off of being one of HitFix’s favorite performers at Coachella this month). But it appears that the “Visions” album cycle is “over,” as she wrote last night, and misogynistic comments to and at her are intolerable.
“I”m tired of men who aren”t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out” (without being asked), as if i did this by accident and i”m gonna flounder without them. or as if the fact that I”m a woman makes me incapable of using technology,” she wrote in the post. “i dont want to be infantilized because i refuse to be sexualized,” she said in another line.
The list is fairly specific, on the types of comments or afflictions she’s had in the past year, and perhaps refers to a point this winter when she erased her Tumblr altogether. “i dont want my words to be taken out of context,” she said early on. In January February, she wrote about her fondnesses of Beyonce and Mariah Carey, as a successful female and performers. She also posted her favorite songs from 2012, for which she’s got apparent grief.
“I’m sorry, but I think it’s f*cking incredible that a Korean language song is the most popular thing on the planet. That’s so good for humanity. PSY wrote and produced “Gangnam Style” himself and directed the video HIMSELF… I dont think it’s so terrible that he’s been recognized for this. It also doesn’t make him evil. His art is creating a generation of kids that will grow up seeing Asian culture as being as valid as Western culture which they currently don’t,” she wrote then. “Racism isn’t over. Sexism isn’t over. The only way things actually effect social change is by hitting the audience that perpetuates these ideas. Therefore, when a deserving artist blows up its good for everybody.”
In a Tumblr post directly after the initial post last night, Grimes assured listeners:
a) meeting fans is actually incredibly rewarding for me so im gonna keep doing that and if u see me on the street its like, totally fine to say hi :)
b) i am still making music – but im gonna start working on a new album instead continuing to tour off visions…
c) ALSO – i wrote what i wrote below not to complain or make anyone sad, but because i feel like if its possible to not accept stuff i hate and live a comfortable life then i want to do it :) in a broader sense, ideally stereotyping of any kind is something that can eventually be overcome or at least minimized. the fact that the response to this has been almost entirely positive is amazing and really nice and yeah.
I think that anybody who has spent time and/or their livelihood and/or their own money in creative industries will see the bias Grimes is referring to. “Popular” as inferior status… women having success by “mistake”… looks trumping opinion on output… the need to box the activism of artists as “irrelevant”… Grimes, as a young recording and touring pop artist has seen this first hand since she released “Visions” last January, and even before. You don’t even need to like “Visions” to understand the validity of this venting/letter/condemnation.
May she keep this post alive and well and undeleted. She is done touring for the moment and has started work on a new album.