On April 5th we will get to know Conan Gray’s brand new album, which is called Found Heaven. The asian-american singer and songwriter is 25 years old and already has 1 EP and 2 studio albums. Inspired by Adele, Gray wrote his first song when he was 12 and in his preteen years he started to post some videos on the internet singing and playing the guitar. He became famous after Kid Krow– second album of the popstar- was released because of hits like “Maniac”, “Heather” and “Wish you were sober”. If you heard about Conan, you probably know that he is known for his very unique way of talking about delusion and heartbreak issues.
Conan Gray can describe the word pain in many different forms, perfectly representing suffering, drama and sadness in metaphorical and beautiful verses. While listening to his songs you can feel as he feels and it’s like you’re seeing your life being told by someone else. Our “loveproof” boy shares with the audience his unrequited love stories and the anxiety caused by not living a real one, just “people watching”. But if you are asking yourself what can we expect from his new album, first of all, we will have to return to 2018.
Gray’s first EP is called Sunset Season and it was released in november 2018. With five songs, the debut talks about many topics. The first track “Idle town” is all about Conan’s hometown, reflecting in a nostalgic way about childhood and things he used to do in his natural habitat. Additionally, it is important to highlight that the songs “Generation why” and “Greek god” talk about another subject: what feels like to be a teenager. While the first one discusses how millennium kids are underestimated, the second one criticizes gossip, fake friendships and popular and shallow students who only care about themselves.
On the other hand, the EP has also two songs that are similar to the atmosphere that Conan explored deeply on his first album Kid Krow (2020). “Crush culture” is an ironic song made to criticize the “crush culture” and the “kissing cult”, while “Lookalike” represents the vulnerability of being in love and the contradictions of seeing your loved one moving on. The way that Conan represents the sadness in some lyrics, while also trying to show strength and indifference, is very present in Kid Krow, his first album.
“Heather” is probably the biggest success of Kid Krow. But the album has other songs that bring the same delicacy and poetic language, such as the record “The cut that always bleeds”. This one has deep meanings in every single verse and also the amazing capacity to promote identification and empathy. An excerpt that deserves recognition is the bridge “but even though you’re killing me I need you like the air I breathe”, which shows a toxic relationship based on emotional dependence. Another song from this album with impressive lyrics that also demonstrates all the passion and the pain involved in relationships is “The story”. It is almost inevitable to think about this track and not mention the chorus “Oh, and I’m afraid that’s just the way the world works It ain’t funny, it ain’t pretty, it ain’t sweet”.
But Kid Krow also contains happy and upbeat records. “Wish you were sober” is one example. The message conveyed is about the narrator’s desire to start a serious relationship with his love interest, who only ever shows any affection when they are drunk: “Save me till the party is over; Kiss me in the seat of your Rover; Real sweet, but I wish you were sober”. This irony and sarcasm appear on Gray’s second album as well. Superache (2022) has the incredible power to touch our hearts in the same way that it makes people laugh with all the drama and honesty throughout the lines.
Conan Gray talks about friendship, delusion and platonic love. But, for the first time, he brings up some information about his past and his family. Gray was born in California, but he was raised in Georgetown, Texas, and passed through hard times during his childhood due to family issues. The public gets to know more about this on Superache’s track 8: “Family line took two years to finish. I wrote the first verse and chorus, then ignored it for a solid six months. Finally played it for my best friend, and as we sobbed in her car I realized I had to finish it. Would write one line then get scared and stop. Went on for two years”, said Conan on his account on X. This song is undoubtedly one of the most special songs in Conan’s albums. One of the lines goes “All of my past I tried to erase it; But now I see, would I even change it? Might share a face and share a last name but (We are not the same, same)”.
However, the singer’s second album makes people dive into different universes, rhythms and beats. It is clear that it demonstrates a more grown-up and mature Conan, a different version from Kid Krow. Superache shows behind the lyrics a variety of situations that bring some reflections: When am I going to love and be loved back? When will I stop being just a footnote in the lives of those I care about?. “People watching”, “Memories” and “Movies” are tracks that demonstrate these feelings. The song that ends the album, “The exit”, also brings up this idea. This record approaches the sadness of getting left and seeing your loved one living the life you wanted to live with them but with someone else.
But what can we expect from Found Heaven?
What we know is that Conan’s first two albums have in common two important things: meaningful and metaphorical songs. We don’t know if his typical dramatic lyrics will be on the 3rd album. However, we can imagine that the answer to this question is yes. Why? Because we already know five songs of Found Heaven: “Never ending song”, “Killing me”, “Winner”, “Lonely dancers” and “Alley Rose”. The aesthetics of the album also give us some tips that help us to think about what to expect. The first attribute discovered since the album’s first poster was its proximity to trends from the 80s and alternative pop, besides innovations rarely seen in other songs.
The song “Never ending song” is retro and upbeat and portrays in the music video a confident and different Conan. On the other hand, “Alley rose” and “Winner” remind us why the singer is the king of sensibility and drama. One example is the line “But I swore hands were made for fighting, I swore eyes were made to cry, But you’re the first person that I’ve seen, Who’s proven that might be a lie”, from “Alley Rose”. This bridge also raises another question: are we going to see our boy truly in love in a real relationship for the first time?
What we know is that Conan gave us another spoiler during the one-off show he did on March 18 to celebrate the release of Found Heaven: the name of the songs. The singer wore a T-shirt featuring the album’s tracklist: “Found Heaven”, “Never ending song”, “Fainted Love”, “Lonely Dancers”, “Alley Rose”, “The Final Fight”, “Miss you”, “Bourgeoisieses”, “Forever with Me”, “Eye of the Night”, “Boys & Girls”, “Killing Me” and “Winner”. In Gray’s words, “this album is very much about embracing all of your emotions, and embracing the fact that like “Yeah, this did end terribly, but it was so worth it, and I’d do it again.” So, if you are willing to give Found Heaven a try, write this date down in your diary: April 5th 2024.
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The article above was edited by Isadora Costa.
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