Grimes’ New Rihanna Song Should Just Stay Hers

Grimes has been gone for a minute, but she stole the stage at New York's Governors Ball this past weekend, nonetheless. Rihanna might be to blame.

The original Bad Gal didn't bless the early-June festival with her presence and sheer-top looks, though. She was in California accepting the Guys' Choice Award for 2014's Most Desirable Woman and embracing her new role as an aunt. It was the debut of Grimes' unreleased song "Go" that kept the RiRi spirit alive. The Canadian musician and producer teased her Twitter followers about her three upcoming song debuts — one of them a BloodDiamonds-assisted track she wrote for Rihanna.

Taking cues from Major Lazer and all those other artists who are rethinking what it means to be in the trap, "Go" is a departure from Grimes' usually cerebral witch-house pop. It's a wonder why Rihanna turned down the track, since the live version (the only one fans have heard so far) feels like it could fit on an Unapologetic B-side. Perhaps it's too trap-heavy? Who knows why Rihanna does what Rihanna does. Grimes should (and hopefully will) make the track her own, put it on her album, and call it a successful experiment. Or, she can try and pawn it off to a fellow Roc Nation peer. Either way, now that the live recording's been released into the ether, the pressure to release a high-quality studio version is stronger than ever.