Venus Fly

“Venus Fly” features Janelle Monáe, and is one of Grimes‘ favorite tracks off her fourth record Art Angels. This song encapsulates Boucher and Monáe interrogating someone for looking at them, using threats like changing their appearance in frightening ways and using conventional symbols of beauty as weapons. “Venus Fly” may be the track Grimes described as being about “being too scary to be objectified.” The artwork for “Venus Fly” shows a monstrous-looking woman also suggests this interpretation. It may also be one of the “diss tracks” that Boucher talked about in her Fader interview. The song was used in a TV advertisement for Stella McCartney’s POP fragrance, which also featured Grimes in the ad.

[Intro: Grimes] Hey, oh why you looking at me? (Against the music) Hey, oh why you looking at me? (Baby I can use it) (Pitty pat, doing that, talking smack, got my back Pitty pat, call it black, talking smack) [Pre-Chorus: Janelle Monáe (Grimes)] Why you looking at me now? Why you looking at me again? What if I pulled my teeth? Cut my hair underneath my chin Wrap my curls all around the world Throw my pearls all across the floor Feeling my beat like a sniper girl ('Cause I want it more) [Chorus: Grimes] Hey, what about me? Oh, why you looking at me? Oh, why you looking at me? (Against the music) Hey, what about me? Oh, why you looking at me? Oh, why you looking at me? (Baby I can use it) [Verse: Janelle Monáe] Pitty, pitty, pitty pat Why you always doing that? Why you always talking smack? Yeah, Grimes got my back Pitty, pitty, pitty pat Why you always call it black? Why you always talking smack? Yeah, Grimes- [Pre-Chorus: Janelle Monáe (Grimes)] Why you looking at me now? Why you looking at me again? What if I pulled my teeth? Cut my hair underneath my chin Wrap my curls all around the world Throw my pearls all across the floor Feeling my beat like a sniper girl ('Cause I want it more) [Chorus: Grimes] Hey, what about me? Oh, why you looking at me? Oh, why you looking at me? (Against the music) Hey, what about me? Oh, why you looking at me? Oh, why you looking at me? (Baby I can use it) [Outro: Instrumental + Violin Solo] (Venus fly!) Hey! What about... Again... Hey! What about... Oh, why you looking at me? Again.. Again.. (Why you always talking smack...) Hey! Oh, why you looking at me? Oh, why you looking at me? Baby, I can use it (All gotta freak, yeah, you a freak! I said we all gotta freak, yeah, you a freak! Freak, freak)