Possessed is the third song of a limited collection I’ll be creating using Grimes’ AI voice replicating software. This song is about forbidden love. Wanting someone you’re not supposed to have. It naturally just feels so right but the world is telling you it’s wrong and immoral. The origin of the theme of this song dates back to when I was a kid living under an oppressive, cult like version of Christianity that my parents forced me to take part it. Me and my peers would attend weekend long conferences at church where a traveling pastor would lecture for hours about the evils of secular music and its Satanic origins. We were taught that the low frequencies in the drums and bass of rap and dance music were gateways that would make a listener vulnerable to the devil’s attacks and demonic possession. The term “the devil’s beat” was repeatedly used to describe the rhythms of any music that wasn’t Christian and made you want to dance or have any actual fun. Despite attending seminars were I was repeatedly told I’d suffer eternal punishment in hell for listening to this evil, “devil’s beat” music, I just couldn’t stay away. I loved it so much I was willing to pay the ultimate price for it, to go to hell for it. Streaming and digital downloads were too intangible for me, I wanted to physically possess this music that possessed me, I needed to own it, to hold it. The devil’s beat still has a hold on me today but instead of restricting me it’s given me creative freedom and a profoundly deep appreciation for all kinds of artistic expressions. Turns out the music was a gateway, a portal that’s led me to experience heaven on earth.