Released: 2020
Features: i_o
Grimes’s “Violence – Original Mix”, featuring i_o, dances along a blurry line between sweet surrender and tumultuous conflict. The song paints a compelling narrative of a toxic relationship, fueled by a love that is both destructive and addictive.
We kick it off with the line, “I am like, begging for you baby.” Grimes hints at a desperate yearning, possibly an unhealthy reliance on the other party. The phrase “Makes you wanna party, wanna wake up” keeps the vibe intricate, intertwining a romanticized, reckless party lifestyle with the stark reality of confronting their issues in the harsh light of day. The repeated lines “Baby it’s violence, violence / Baby it’s violence” drive home the message that this relationship is a storm of emotional turmoil, giving the love song an unexpected undertow.
The part where Grimes sings “You can’t see what I see / ‘Cause you, ha, ha / You feed off hurting me, off hurting me” is a poignant reflection of the other party’s appetite for pain, suggesting a sort of emotional vampirism coupled with obliviousness. Interestingly, the counterpoint to this – “And I like it like that, and I like it like that” – explores how the singer is drawn to this chaotic dance, a willing participant in a game of love and pain.
Further along, “You wanna make me bad, pay me back / Said, I like it like that” brings out an element of retaliation – the other party wanting to their lover to experience the cycle of hurt they’ve been put through. Yet, the recurring phrase “And I like it like that” conveys that Grimes is, in a twisted way, okay with the turmoil, further adding to the complexity of this toxic dynamic.
The closing lines “You wanna make me, make me / You wanna pay me, pay me / Pay me back, pay me back” encapsulate the cycle of vengeance within the relationship, finally reverting back to the defiant acceptance, “And I like it like that and I like it like that / Said I like it like that.”
In conclusion, “Violence – Original Mix” is a twisted love story that dives deep into the depth of a turbulent relationship, navigating the turbulent waters of codependency, toxicity, and a distorted kind of love, served on a platter of catchy electro-pop beats.
