Last Friday, Grimes returned with new single ‘Player of Games’. It’s a slick and futuristic techno-tinged cut that sees the cyber-pop auteur reflect (with heavily manipulated vocals) on a failed relationship with, well, a “player of games”.
Lyrically, it’s one of Claire Boucher’s more personal cuts, a moving and emotive meditation on the pain that comes with someone increasingly devoting their attention outside of you. While it’s not explicit what the song’s content is about, fans have predictably made associations with Grimes’ former partner, tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom she split with in September after three years together.
“Sail away to the cold expanse of space / Even love couldn’t keep you in your place,” Claire Boucher croons on its verse, seemingly referring to Musk’s exploratory travels and SpaceX endeavours. “I’m in love with thе greatest gamer / But he’ll always love the game more than he loves me,” she continues.
‘Player of Games’ marks Grimes’ first officially released single under her own name for this year, but she’s kept relatively busy. She previewed a track called ‘Shinigami Eyes’ earlier this year, and launched an “AI girl group” titled NPC last month via a collaboration with DJ Chris Lake.
In October, she shared a song on Instagram titled ‘LOVE’, which she said was written “in response to all the privacy invasion, bad press, online hate, and harassment by paparazzi I’ve experienced”. Her last album was 2020’s Miss Anthropocene.
Listen to ‘Player of Games’ below.
