grimes

Grimes Shares New Video For “California”

Following on from the dystopic Harajuku antics of Kill V. Maim, Grimes has dropped a third video from Art Angels.

In a similar vein to Flesh Without Blood there’s no shortage of cowgirl motifs, elaborate neo-rococo attire and, of course, dancing. Co-directed with brother Mac Boucher, the clip bounces between a dazzling succession of scenes, sets and costume switches. Providing a visual backdrop to her summery west coast anti-anthem, the singer adopts the role of gymnast and dances throughout a pottery classroom.  Also appearing are a number of musical contemporaries including Purity Ring‘s Megan James, HANA and Born Gold. Brother Mac and male model Eric Cheng also make an appearance.

Keen-eared fans might notice that it’s a slightly different mix than the album version of the track. Taking to Twitter, Boucher explained that the reasoning behind the reworked track, noting that the footage was “dissonant” with the album version. The Canadian producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist also contended that the original didn’t naturally lend itself to any mental visuals. The end result is a slower building introduction, and an overall dreamier pop veneer with a hefty synth rework.

It’s not the first time the diminutive pop star has reworked a track for a video clip. Inversely, Boucher included a reworked version of pre-Art Angels single REALiTi on the latest album. 

Image source: Pitchfork