After months of teasing, Grimes has finally released the full version of her demonic dancefloor-filler “Shinigami Eyes”. The track arrives alongside a music video directed by Brthr and written by Grimes, which sees her travel through hyperspace alongside cameo appearances from BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Dorian Electra, and Ryon Wu.
Referencing Death Note – with a nod to that time Grimes claimed she’d had experimental surgery to eliminate all blue light from her vision – the song itself will appear on a new EP titled Fairies Cum First, according to an accompanying press release. This record is billed as a prelude to her upcoming “space opera” album, Book 1.
“This is the label executive decision song,” Grimes tells Zane Lowe, discussing “Shinigami Eyes” in a recent interview for Apple Music. “I love the record, but… everyone’s like, what’s the deeper meaning? And it’s like, well, Nino Angelo had just watched Death Note and really liked it. Basically, I wrote the whole space opera thing and this is the only song that wasn’t this big narrative plot. Anyway, I actually do really like the song. Sorry. I’m just undermining the marketing strategy.”
In the same interview, Grimes also reveals that Book 1 is likely to appear as a double album. “There’s just more kind of sonic, conceptual ideas that I think need to get done to make everything make more sense,” she says. “We kind of have two album covers and it seems like a waste to throw on one of them away.”
In December last year, Grimes also released a music video for the track “Player of Games”, which – like the new visuals – features plenty of lightsaber action, set against a medieval-themed sci-fi backdrop.
Since then, the musician has also teased plans to share her long-awaited, “absurdly long” nightcore album. A specific date for the release is yet to be announced, but it will most likely drop after her follow-up to Miss Anthropocene.
In the meantime, you can listen to Grimes’ latest track, “Shinigami Eyes”, below.
