History Music / StVincent

As of 2017, she has released six albums:
* ''Marry Me'' (2007)
* ''Actor'' (2009)
* ''Strange Mercy'' (2011)
* ''Love This Giant'' (2012), a collaboration with Music/DavidByrne.
* ''St. Vincent'' (2014)
* ''Masseduction'' (2017)

** "Cheerleader": Annie is a larger-than-life, hyper-realistic sculpture à la RonMueck who comes to life. She tries to escape the gallery where she's kept, but ends up collapsing under her own weight.

* {{Mondegreen}}: A rare written example. When St. Vincent first announced the title of ''Masseduction'', a number of people mentioned that they read it as ''Masseducation'' at first glance. Clark must have been listening, because she named the acoustic piano version of ''Masseduction'' none other than ''MassEducation''.

--->And if I call you from First Avenue\\Where you're the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me.

St. Vincent is the {{stage name}} of multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Annie was part of Music/ThePolyphonicSpree (a choral symphonic rock band) and part of Music/SufjanStevens' touring band before going solo with the name St. Vincent, which she claims to be either a reference to [[MultipleChoicePast Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, where the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died in 1953, or her grandmother's middle name]].

%%* IntercourseWithYou: "Surgeon", depending upon one's interpretation; "Chloe in the Afternoon" and "Savior" are far less ambiguous, however.

** And "Bring All Your Loves" has the very BDSM flavored lyrics of "I thought you were like a dog
But you made a pet of me" and "I took you off your leash".

--->And if I call you from First Avenue\\
%%Where you're the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me.

%%** Her name, St. Vincent, might also be one derived from a Music/NickCave song.
%%* StalkerWithACrush: implied with "Dilletante".
%%* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "New York".

%%* AdultFear: The subject of many of the songs on ''Strange Mercy'', particularly the title track.
%%* AntiLoveSong: "Now, Now", "Marry Me" and "The Strangers" are particularly blatant examples, although there are many.

%%* BecomeARealBoy: The prayer of "Prince Johnny", in a ShoutOut to ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}''.

%%* CruelMercy : The central theme behind "Strange Mercy", both the song and the record.

%%* LyricalDissonance: ''Oh so much''. "Now, Now", "Black Rainbow", "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood", "Cheerleader", "Pills"... The list could go on and on.

%%* MoustacheDePlume

%%* PrecisionFStrike: In "New York":
%%--->And if I call you from First Avenue\\

%%* SelfbackingVocalist: Being a one woman band, she usually does this.

* {{Adorkable}} : Just watch any videos of her playing at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKlGtZ_KdF8 She seems genuinely surprised]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF95szVphMEt that people love her so. ]]

%%* BecomeARealBoy: The prayer of "Prince Johnny", in a ShoutOut to ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}''.

St. Vincent also opened shows to diverse bands like Music/{{Television}}, Music/ArcadeFire, Music/DeathCabForCutie, Music/GrizzlyBear, and Music/AndrewBird. She and Music/BonIver also composed the song ''Roslyn,'' part of the ''[[Film/{{Twilight}} New Moon]]'' soundtrack- as one of the examples of critically-acclaimed musicians associated with the ''{{Twilight}}'' movies.

* AdultFear: The subject of many of the songs on ''Strange Mercy'', particularly the title track.
* AntiLoveSong: "Now, Now", "Marry Me" and "The Strangers" are particularly blatant examples, although there are many.
* BecomeARealBoy: The prayer of "Prince Johnny", in a ShoutOut to ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}''.
* BigApplesauce: Played with. "New York" isn't about about romanticizing a fresh NY arrival (as many other songs do), but instead, is a bittersweet love ballad regarding her departure from the city.
* BiTheWay: Was in a relationship with Creator/CaraDelevingne.

* CruelMercy : The central theme behind "Strange Mercy", both the song and the record.

** Really each album got progressively darker, moderately on the cerebral ''Actor'' and more intensely on the moody ''Strange Mercy'', though ''St Vincent'' seemed to smooth over some of her harsher edges for a more cohesive feel.
** Live versions of "Your Lips Are Red", particularly those from the tour for the self-titled record, which transformed the relatively restrained if very tense MurderBallad from ''Marry Me'' into a brooding, [[IndustrialMusic industrial-tinged]] [[NoiseRock noise-rock]] slow-burner with extended passages of freeform improvisation.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
** "Surgeon"
--->Best finest surgeon\\
Come cut me open
** "The Apocalypse Song":
--->All your praying moments amount to just one breath\\
Please keep your victory\\
But give me little death[[note]]in French, "little death" (''la petite mort'') is a metaphor for an orgasm[[/note]]
* DownerEnding: Both of her videos for the singles off ''Strange Mercy'' have this:

* EpicRocking: Interestingly subverted, St. Vincent songs are always economical while still being able to showcase her crazy awesome guitar skills. It's during live performances where you can REALLY see her cut loose as she regularly extends her guitar solos on tour. ("Your Lips Are Red" in particular is often radically extended, although less in a show of virtuosity than [[NoiseRock a display of raw sonic aggression]].)

** Averted with ''Strange Mercy'', which has her mouth agape seen through a white latex screen, and ''Masseduction'' which shows her assistant's rear.

* IntercourseWithYou: "Surgeon", depending upon one's interpretation; "Chloe in the Afternoon" and "Savior" are far less ambiguous, however.

** A slight inversion with the lush coda to the otherwise exceptionally tense and sinister "Your Lips Are Red".
* LyricalDissonance: ''Oh so much''. "Now, Now", "Black Rainbow", "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood", "Cheerleader", "Pills"... The list could go on and on.
* LyricSwap: In some live versions of "Strange Mercy", the lyric: "If I ever find the dirty policeman who roughed you up," is altered into a harsher "[[PrecisionFStrike fucked you up"]].

* MoodWhiplash: The first single from ''Masseduction'', "New York", is a gentle piano ballad. The successive one, "Los Ageless", is a New Wave and dance rock-inspired number which features plenty of her signature guitar riffs.
* MoustacheDePlume
* MurderBallad: Possibly "Your Lips Are Red".
* NervousWreck : Exemplified when she was younger. She's had anxiety attacks since she was around 8 or 9. Fortunately, they've gotten better since and she has them less often. This anxiety can still be found in many of her songs though.

** "Bring Me Your Loves" isn't directly about this, but the subtext is there.
** "Savior" is less subtext than text, although it's more a subversion.
* PrecisionFStrike: In "New York":
--->And if I call you from First Avenue\\
Where you're the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Tends to look about 5 years younger than she actually is. With the Masseduction videos it still took a switch from her natural curls to an old fashioned bob to get her looking 30 or so, when she was 35 at the time.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Honestly, her skin's so fair it's not fair. She went platinum blonde for ''St. Vincent'' and its ensuing tour.
* RaisedCatholic: The reason why religious imagery is so prevalent throughout many of her songs...even though she doesn't really identify as being particularly religious anymore.
* SelfbackingVocalist: Being a one woman band, she usually does this.

* ShesGotLegs: You better believe [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdsdiqxHpI1qzs2sio1_1280.jpg it.]]
** The promotion for ''Masseduction'' has gone out of its way to show them. At one point in the video for "Los Ageless" she's seen singing bent forward in a sort of yoga pose, with the camera positioned through her legs spread wide.

** Her name, St. Vincent, might also be one derived from a Music/NickCave song.
* StalkerWithACrush: implied with "Dilletante".
* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "New York".
* SurrealMusicVideo: All of them. Special mention goes "Digital Witness", where she looks like a mental patient witnessing pseudo-military actions in a desolate, futuristic city.

* LyricalDissonance: ''Oh so much''. "Now, Now", "Black Rainbow", "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood", "Cheerleader", "The Bed", "Pills"... The list could go on and on.

** Live versions of "Your Lips Are Red", particularly those from the tour for the self-titled record, which transformed the relatively restrained if very tense MurderBallad from ''Marry Me'' into a brooding, [[IndustrialRock industrial-tinged]] [[NoiseRock noise-rock]] slow-burner with extended passages of freeform improvisation.

* EpicRocking: Interestingly subverted, St. Vincent songs are always economical while still being able to showcase her crazy awesome guitar skills. It's during live performances where you can REALLY see her cut loose as she regularly extends her guitar solos on tour.

* IntercourseWithYou: "Surgeon", depending upon one's interpretation

* BigApplesauce: Played with. Her 2017 single, "New York" isn't so much about romanticizing arriving to New York (as many other songs do), but instead, is a love ballad regarding her departure from NY.

** "Give Me Your Loves" isn't directly about this, but the subtext is there.

** "Chloe In The Afternoon" shares its name with the 1972 Eric Rohmer French film ([[InNameOnly though the content in both is largely unrelated]]).

* ShoutOut: The lines "best finest surgeon, come cut me open", from the song "Surgeon", were originally written by [[MarilynMonroe Marilyn Monroe]] on her diary.

* EpicRocking : Interestingly subverted, St. Vincent songs are always economical while still being able to showcase her crazy awesome guitar skills. It's during live performances where you can REALLY see her cut loose as she regularly extends her guitar solos on tour.
* FaceOnTheCover : The albums ''[[https://www.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/0652637291926.jpg Actor]]'' and ''[[http://images.rapgenius.com/cf6ac70704b2ac1a8a4d62705cffbc4a.998x1000x1.jpg Marry Me]]'' simply have Annie Clark on the cover in her signature clear wide eyed gaze. ''St. Vincent'' has a full-body portrait of the artist sitting on a throne.
** Averted with ''Strange Mercy'', which has her mouth agape seen through a white latex screen, and ''Masseduction'' which shows a woman's rear.

St. Vincent also opened shows to diverse bands like Music/{{Television}}, Music/ArcadeFire, Music/DeathCabForCutie, Music/GrizzlyBear, and Music/AndrewBird. She and Music/BonIver also composed the song ''Roslyn,'' part of the ''{{New Moon}}'' soundtrack- as one of the examples of critically-acclaimed musicians associated with the ''{{Twilight}}'' movies.

* DyeingForYourArt: Kept up white hair for the entirety of her self titled album cycle, even though it was obviously damaging her hair to do so. As of 2017 she's back to either dark brown or black.

* LyricalDissonance: ''Oh so much''. "Now, Now", "Black Rainbow", "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood", "Cheerleader", "The Bed"... The list could go on and on.

* SelftitledAlbum: It took her four albums to get there, but she got there and unlike other albums, there's a definite reason for the choice, indicating her growth and self-realization.