Grimes Was Told to ‘Sex Up’ Her Image and ‘Be More Like Miley Cyrus’ by Her ‘Crazy’ Grandpa
Grimes is a singer/songwriter who hails from Canada. She has been a vital part of the pop music scene for a number of years but it was her high-prole relationship with businessman Elon Musk that really thrust her to prominence.
Over the past few years, Grimes has continued in the pursuit of her music career, all while maintaining transparency about her romance with Musk. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Grimes opened up not only about the current status of her relationship with Musk, but about her upbringing and early family life—and why her grandfather told her, early on in her career, that she should try to “sex up” her image.
Grimes recently opened up about her upbringing
Grimes is a big star but she grew up in rather modest circumstances, raised by a hardworking father and mother in Vancouver, Canada. Born in 1988 as Claire Boucher, Grimes originally studied neuroscience in college but cultivated some rather unusual interests along the way.
In her March 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Grimes opened up about her childhood, admitting that she tried LSD for the first time when she was 13 years old and that she started to pay for drugs by doing homework for Taiwanese loan sharks.
Her younger brother, Mac, told Vanity Fair that his sister was always doing “dumb Claire shit,” and that she was the ultimate thrill-seeking teenager. When Grimes decided that she wanted to pursue a career in music, her family was supportive—even if her grandfather had a lot to say about how she chose to present herself on the music scene.
What did Grimes say about her grandfather’s career advice?
While Grimes’ immediate family started to get used to her unique stylings, it was a bit harder to convince her grandfather. As Grimes told Vanity Fair, “My grandpa is hard as f***. Super antiestablishment. Teach yourself. Don’t rely on other people to teach you anything.” She revealed that her grandfather helped to stoke her competitive spirit, teaching her to drive a standard transmission vehicle by telling her to reverse the car to the edge of a cliff.
He was similarly edgy when it came to offering the young woman career advice. Grimes revealed that he once advised that she should “sex it up” and attempt to be more like the singer Miley Cyrus. “He was like, ‘Your career is going to be way better if you start showing more skin,’ ” she told Vanity Fair. “I was like, ‘Grandpa.’
Grimes is known for her eclectic pop-style
In the end, Grimes did it her way—and by 2012, her third studio album, Visions, made her a star. Her singles “Genesis” and “Oblivion” earned her significant critical acclaim, and over the years that followed, Grimes consistently released music. With a tendency to art-pop style music and feminist lyrics, Grimes has always stood out, becoming a hero to alternative music fans. Her relationship with Musk, which began in 2018, brought a lot of attention to the artist, not always positive attention.
The two have since welcomed two children, including a son in 2020 and a daughter in late 2021. Through it all, Grimes has been open about their romance, often referencing it on social media – but as she revealed to Vanity Fair, she often feels torn between the trappings of fame and her status as an alternative antihero. “I feel really trapped between two worlds,” she said. “I used to be so far left that I went through a period of living without currency, living outside.” For Grimes, the “norm” is something she never strives for, which is one reason why her ardent fans support her musical endeavors.
