Toxicaliphobia - How scary is the toxicity of Californian society?

Toxicaliphobia is a single by Benjamin Clementine, a British singer-songwriter, musician and poet of Ghanaian origin.

He is known for his unique musical style that combines elements of experimental, minimalist, piano, rock opera and art rock. He began his musical career as a street performer in Paris, where he lived for several years. He became a cult figure in the Parisian music scene before being discovered by a talent scout. His debut album, "At Least For Now", won the Mercury Prize in 2015.

The single is part of his fourth album, "Sir Introvert and the Featherweights", to be released on February 14, 2025.

Benjamin Clementine has declared that this will be his farewell album to music, because he intends to dedicate himself full-time to his career as a film actor (he has already starred in the film Dune).

The title of the song, Toxicaliphobia, seems to be a pun between Toxic, California and Phobia (fear). The single, which lasts about six minutes, talks about the fears and toxic nature of Californian society, heavily based on appearances.

The phrase <<for this city reeks of vanity>> perhaps refers to Los Angeles, where he recorded his last album and acted as an actor in Hollywood?