Grimes reflects on drug addiction in new single ‘Delete Forever’

Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes (Claire Elise Boucher) at the world premiere of “Captain Marvel” in Hollywood, California, on March 4, 2019. Image: AFP/Robyn Beck via AFP Relaxnews

“Delete Forever” will appear on Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes’ upcoming new album, “Miss Anthropocene”, which will arrive on Feb. 21. The emotional single was released with an accompanying music video, which Grimes co-directed with Mac Boucher and Neil Hansen.

According to its YouTube description, the dystopian visual “depicts a tyrant’s lament as her empire crumbles.”

“Lying so awake, things I can’t escape/ Lately, I just turn ’em into demons/ Float into the sun, f***ing heroin/ Lately I just turn ’em into reasons,” Grimes sings in the semi-acoustic ballad.

“Delete Forever” marks a departure from the previously issued “We Appreciate Power”, “Violence”, “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth”, “4AEM” and “My Name Is Dark”, which will appear in Grimes’ fifth studio album.

In a recent sit-down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music’s Beats 1, the Canadian hitmaker opened up about the inspiration behind “Delete Forever”, which she described as “a pretty bummer song.”

“When I was making this song I was trying to be more like Patsy Cline or something, like I was trying to be country or something, but I feel like it ends up having this ‘Wonderwall’ sort of vibe,” she explained, comparing her latest single to Oasis’ 1995 hit.

Grimes also revealed that she composed “Delete Forever” on the night that Lil Peep, born Gustav Åhr, died of an accidental overdose at the age of 21 in 2017.

“I guess it’s kind of about the opioid epidemic. I’ve had quite a few friends pass away, in particular, one friend when I was 18 passed away from complications related to opioid addiction. Artists keep dying and stuff so I wrote this song on the night Lil Peep died because I just got super triggered. Lil Peep and Juice WRLD were both artists I really liked,” she noted.

While she is gearing towards the release of the follow-up to 2015’s “Art Angels”, it is still unclear whether Grimes plans on going on tour in support of “Miss Anthropocene”.

The artist confessed last April that she is considering to “retir[e] from touring,” alluding to the ongoing trend of hologram concerts.

“I know people like the authenticity of live performance, and I do too. But I’m not a good performer. I’m a director who accidentally fell into this position, and now it’s too late to change. So I need to Gorillaz it — I need to find a way to not have to do the Beyoncé thing as much,” she told Flaunt magazine at the time. RGA

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