Gameboi sign off for good with 'Cruisin'' and '626'.
The elusive pop duo bid us farewell with two brand new EPs.
After nearly five years of on-again/off-again activity, elusive hyper pop duo Gameboi (comprised of American singer-songwriter and visual artist Kian Jenner and British producer and graphic designer Euvn) is officially calling it quits, citing creative tensions and artistic burnout as the reasons for the pair’s disbandment. While both Jenner and Euvn will continue working on solo efforts within the underground pop space, Gameboi as a music-making entity is no more, but thankfully, the duo would not leave without offering the scene not one but two parting gifts: the fourth and fifth Gameboi EPs, Cruisin’ and 626 — respectively.
Initially announced as a series of five standalone singles collectively known as Cruise Control, they would ultimately culminate into the Cruisin’ EP, which was released exclusively on Bandcamp this past January with two additional tracks. Cruisin’ sees Kian Jenner at his most explicit with provocative visuals and songs that explore different facets of gay sex culture, especially in the first half with tracks like “John Doe” — a sleazy electroclash banger about anonymous sexual encounters — “Groove Touch” — a UK garage-inspired bop set in a nudist nightclub — and “Cruise Control” — an ode to the grand tradition of cruising (look it up) that recalls classic Gameboi tracks like “The Valley” (2019) and “ICU” with American singer-songwriter and America’s favorite twink: That Kid (2019).
In contrast to the X-rated first half, the second half is quite vulnerable and more concerned with relationships than casual sex. “NMSNML” — an acronym for “No More Sex, No More Lies” — is a bouncy bop on which Jenner sets boundaries and attempts to mend a messy relationship, and “Have U Sayin’” with American singer-songwriter and visual artist Jake Germain is an emotional depiction of yearning to rekindle a long lost love that has an extra layer of sincerity given Jenner and Germain’s own sorted romantic history (Tea). “Boy Of Mine” — a darker moment that deals with infidelity, DL men (IYKYK), and scandal — is also accompanied by a fun remix from Euvn that’s a lovely electro-garage flip of the already excellent track.
Although Cruisin’ was billed as the final Gameboi project, the duo shared the 626 EP in late January as one last surprise before officially parting ways. 626 is largely a collection of tracks from the short-lived “McSynth” era. McSynth was an experimental project between Jenner and Euvn that served as the prototype for Gameboi’s grand return in mid-2021 after Euvn succeeded American singer-songwriter and producer Ayesha Erotica as Jenner’s primary producer and saw the release of several singles between late 2020 and early 2021, including the fan favorite “sexxx” with prolific and mysterious rapper and producer $WAGGOT, that have all since been removed from major streaming platforms save for “sexxx”. 626 re-adds four iconic McSynth tracks to Gameboi’s streaming catalog — the lovey-dovey “luvin’ you”, the bubblegum pop “suicide”, the breathtaking “love me”, and the cheeky “h8 u 4vr” — in addition to a brand new song, “monica” — a slinky Y2K-esque number that sees Jenner breaking the news to the titular Monica that her husband is secretly sleeping with men behind her back.
“suicide” and “love me” are the clear standouts from the EP as both are longtime fan favorite tracks that have remained in high demand ever since they first disappeared from streaming back in mid-2021. The former is what I would consider to be a perfectly-crafted hyper pop song with snappy production that recalls the early work of PC Music and a catchy hook that gives it endless replay value, but the latter is truly phenomenal and an undeniable career highlight for Gameboi. “love me” is an epic and thrilling synth odyssey with highly emotional lyrics juxtaposed by a killer beat that deserves a standing ovation. I marvel at every detail of this incredible track. From the textures of the synths to the nuances of the melody, I am endlessly impressed by and deeply obsessed with this song.
Both Cruisin’ and 626 are solid projects, however, I would’ve liked to have seen more McSynth tracks receive a proper re-release like “baby boy”, “paradise”, and “anymore” (among others) because they’re all so good and deserve to be heard on a wider scale. Perhaps we’ll see more McSynth as well as other unreleased Gameboi songs see the light of the day at some point in the future. Personally, I think 626 could have been extended from five tracks to about seven or eight, but maybe that’s just me being greedy. I’m honestly just glad that “suicide” and “love me” are back because if I don’t stream “love me” at least five times a day, I will die.
Gameboi’s left the scene before — on three previous occasions to be exact — but this time, it really does appear to be the end. Kian Jenner was one of Ayesha Erotica’s top protégés in the years following her initial retirement, and the Gameboi project has been an important part of the underground pop music scene that will absolutely be missed. Thank you, Kian, for sharing yourself and your talent with us, and thank you, Euvn, for helping bring Kian’s vision to life — both sonically and visually. I wish you both the best in your future endeavors whether they be solo efforts or new incarnations of Gameboi, and I will continue to put people on to the wonderful music that you made together. Gameboi will always have a home here at Homobyte!
Cruisin’ is available to stream exclusively on Bandcamp while 626 can be found across all online and streaming platforms!