During the 2010s, Grimes rose to popularity as an indie-pop star known for her ethereal vocals and eye for aesthetics unseen by others in the same vein. Songs like “Oblivion” and “Realiti” became instant classics in the indie-pop scene and were lauded as some of the best of the decade in any genre.
In the latter years of the decade, a shift occured in her public image largely due to her controversial relationship with infamous billionaire Elon Musk and her growing fame. To many of her fans, this relationship seemed like a betrayal of the sort of techno-punk, feminist future Grimes had explored in the past. It was as if she became another cog in the machine.
Miss Anthropocene could be Grimes’ ticket back into the public’s grace. The album is supposedly a concept album about the effects of climate change where the goddess of climate change, Miss Anthropocene, is the titular character.
Albums about climate change aren’t new, and they certainly won’t be going away any time soon. But you’d be hard-pressed to convince someone that this album is about climate change without telling them to read more about it. Those themes are largely lost in its presentation. Rather than coming across as a metaphor for climate change, the album comes off as a fictional apocalyptic TV show.
The kind of TV show that doesn’t really do anything besides be a fun, easy to consume watch. And as a work of fiction in that regard, Miss Anthropocene works very well. From the pulsating bass and expansive feel of the opener “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” to the folk-pop of “Delete Forever,” this album grips the listener in, and takes them for a ride they won’t come away from regretting their time.
On the second track, “Darkseid,” Grimes anchors the listener in with her chorus while Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes raps powerful, unwavering verses over the dark, imposing beat. The song sounds like it’s meant to be played in a club, but not a typical club. More like an abandoned warehouse club in a world ravaged by climate change where partying endlessly and anywhere is a last resort to find any joy.
Other tracks like the guitar-driven “My Name is Dark,” drum and bass heavy “4ÆM,” and the pulsating electronica of “Violence” sound like they’re being played at the same club. “Violence,” produced with i_o, features the incredibly sticky “I like it like that and I like it like that.” It’s also one of the songs most clearly about climate change. A dark love song between Earth and humanity where both parties feed off each other’s violence directed towards each other.
On “New Gods,” a piano ballad with Grimes’ ethereal vocals on top, Grimes calls out for help from celestial beings, but not those from the past. Instead, she calls out to “new Gods” looking for guidance in a world far removed from the stories of Artemis and Ceres. This song is also very clearly about climate change. A call for guidance in a world that can often be confusing and frustrating.
The album ends on the love song “IDORU.” Opening with an almost flute-like synth and the sound of water and forest animals, the song is a defiant love song ending an otherwise dark and nihilistic album. Grimes is well aware of the finite nature of not only love, but of the very Earth around her. On the chorus, she sings “I wanna play a beautiful game/Even though we’re gonna lose/But I adore you.” This declaration is powerful and filled with purpose in the face of a world that can often be defeating.
While Miss Anthropocene misses the mark in delivering its concept, Grimes still creates a sonically diverse and rewarding album. This album is the culmination of everything Grimes did over the course of the 2010s. From the dark, heavy electronica of Halfaxa to the pop of Art Angels, Grimes shows it all here and proves she can still be a powerful voice in music throughout the 2020s.
8/10
Notable Tracks: 4Æm, Violence, So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth, My Name is Dark
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