Running Every Red Light

Grimes “Artangels”

I can feel a bit jealous when I listen to “Artangels” because the feeling of love and excitement that Grimes is describing is so perfect and powerful, and I wish I had it in my life. This is a love song to her muse – sometimes it sounds like a person, and in the chorus it’s definitely the city of Montréal – and the feeling she’s so high on is inspiration and creativity. The music captures this feeling perfectly. On a superficial level it feels a bit like the intoxicating rush of a crush, but it’s really more about gratitude for unlocking something inside your mind, and feeling like you’ve been liberated in some way. It’s a precious feeling but it comes and goes so easily, and the fear that her muse could abandon her comes through in the music along with the joy. My favorite part is when she sings “everything I love is consolation after you.” It’s just a lovely sentiment, but also her way of saying that there’s nothing more important to her than art, and nothing more crucial to her sense of self than creativity. I can relate.

Buy it from Amazon.