Grimes, the pop singer, living anime character, and partner to future Martian colonist Elon Musk, made a recent appearance on Planet Earth at the Met Gala, wearing an outfit inspired by Frank Herbert’s science fiction universe, Dune. As a platoon of dressers prepped Grimes for the big event, Vogue chatted with her in an outstanding behind-the-scenes video.
She spoke about her attitude toward motherhood and her relationship with her 16-month-old son, X Æ A-12 Musk, during the three-hour outfit customization. She explained that having a baby was an artistic rebirth for her, but she has misgivings around the word “mother.”
“Being a mother feels weird to say, for some reason,” the 33-year-old Canadian performer said. “I don’t identify with that word.”
She explained that her son X calls her Claire—Grimes’s non-stage name is Claire Boucher—“but he doesn’t say, like, Mama.”
“Maybe he can sense my distaste for the word mother,” she mused. She diplomatically added, “I don’t even know why I have a distaste for it,” suggesting she has a respect for the concept but does not personally identify with it.
Elsewhere in the video, Grimes spoke about a previous Met Gala where she confessed that she probably annoyed Sting by complimenting him on his performance in David Lynch’s 1984 film version of Dune. The British singer-actor seemed baffled, Grimes said, acting as if he’d perhaps forgotten that he played Feyd-Rautha, the evil nephew of the repulsive Baron Harkonnen. She said that Feyd-Rautha is her favorite character, which certainly is a choice.
The Grimes-Musk love of Dune is well-documented, with Musk quoting the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear on Twitter and Grimes releasing an album that is essentially an homage to Herbert’s universe called Geidi Primes. (Giedi Prime is the home planet of the villainous House Harkonnen, and the name of every track on the album is a reference to the work in some way.)
Hebert completed six weighty Dune tomes in his lifetime, and his son has co-authored many prequels, sequels, and “side-quels.” In the first Dune novel published in 1965, the Lady Jessica, concubine to Duke Leto, takes the Water of Life (better known to you and me as Sandworm Spit) while pregnant, thus ensuring that her daughter is born with not only the ability to speak but to link with the minds of her ancestors.
So maybe baby X Musk can sense his mother’s thoughts after all.
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