This is an odd article to write for me, not only because it was an unexpected topic, but because it’s about somebody that I can’t say I’m an expert on in any way. Back in high school, I used to watch Christina Grimmie’s zeldaxlove64 YouTube channel. I remember her releasing some original content that I wasn’t fond of, and my interests branched out in other directions. Apparently, since then, she became a contestant on "The Voice" and began touring with Selena Gomez. I’m assuming that she made quite a name for herself, considering all of the attention her murder has gotten. It’s not something that I necessarily want to write about, but it’s something that I feel needs to be written about and covered before the general populace forgets it in favor of the next great tragedy.
What made Christina Grimmie so great is that she was able to take a pop song created in a laboratory by dozens of producers and songwriters and strip it down to its heart. She would take overproduced songs that only appeared to have appeal for the prototypical pop fan (which I most definitely was not) and present them in a way that I could appreciate. There were a lot of pop songs back in the day I couldn’t stand that she actually convinced me to take a second look at. I first discovered Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” through her cover. I’m not typically into “cover” artists, but she managed to perform other artists’ work that was always true to her own voice. I can’t remember her ever having any prima donna BS. She genuinely seemed happy to be doing what she was doing and appreciative of her fans, collectively known as “Team Grimmie.” It says a lot about the bands to do a meet and greet with fans outside of the venue.
Of all the artists whose death I anticipated, Grimmie’s was one I’d never considered, even of those who are young today. She was 22, my age. Her career had hardly even begun. Think about her parents’ reaction when they heard the news. Her brother was not only there to witness her death, but tackled the killer before he shot himself. I can’t help but to consider the effect this is going to have on her family, as well as those in attendance. I’m not claiming that there aren’t greater tragedies in recent times (especially, this past week), but it’s one of the most visceral stories that I’ve read.
