The great Taylor Swift once said “Heartbreak is a national anthem” and there truly is no better way to describe the melancholic yet intrinsically relatable and danceable music Conan Gray is known for. Growing up in Georgetown, Texas, Gray struggled a lot as a lonely kid with a torrid family life. At times, it seemed as though the only solace in his life was his music; from an early age, Gray began uploading covers of him singing and playing instruments on YouTube, gaining a small following. In 2017, he dropped out of college to pursue his music career after being signed to Republic Records. His first single “Grow” and first EP Sunset Season, garnered a loyal fanbase, but it wasn’t until his primary record Kid Krow that his career really took off. His unrequited love ballad “Heather” captured the hearts of TikTok and even the previously mentioned Eras Tour megastar cited that his other single “Wish You Were Sober” would be “on repeat for the rest of her life.” It was a monumental moment in Conan’s career, being recognized so early and so applauded for work that was so close to his heart.
conan’s addicting discography
After his immense success with albums like “Kid Krow” and “Superache,” Gray was pigeonholed into the sad indie and bedroom pop subcategories of pop despite artists with very similar stylings — namely his best friend Olivia Rodrigo — being skyrocketed into mainstream stardom. On the heels of this realization, Gray crafted his third album, Found Heaven, to be completely out of the norm for him: colorful and ‘80s-pop inspired. While a very creative and unique album concept for any artist, many fans felt alienated by Gray’s new style. Upon a close listen to “Found Heaven,” it is clear that it is still Gray’s typical style of lyricism, but the drastic difference in vocal stylings shocked even the most loyal of fans. I have been a Conan fan since 2021 and remain a dedicated one to this day, but I still remember exclaiming, “Conan Gray is happy now?” upon hearing the debut single “Never-Ending Song”. Altogether, Found Heaven is a surprising yet excellent third record, and without it, there may have never been his most recent, Wishbone.
Going into the making of his fourth album, having learned his lessons from past albums, Gray knew exactly what to do. Instead of pulling another drastic switch to shock fans, he created what was essentially a conglomerate of all the work he had put out so far. Wishbone will appeal to anyone who has ever been a fan of Conan Gray, with heartwrenching tracks like “Connell” and “Class Clown” attracting Kid Krow fans, upbeat pop anthems like “My World” and “Care” solidifying the Found Heaven influence, and poppy ballads like “Nauseous” and “Caramel” especially dedicated to those who still find Superache songs in their Spotify Wrapped. Even more so, Conan’s PR was impeccable and altogether unexpected. For the longest time, rumors swirled around about Gray’s dating life –– or rather the lack thereof. Due to his songs about loneliness and rejection, it was widely assumed that he had never dated anyone and Gray absolutely demolished this perception of himself in his promo for Wishbone. With the help of friend and celebrated actor Corey Fogelmanis, Gray crafted a character for himself that was in an on-and-off, tumultuous relationship.
Viewers and longtime fans were shocked by the music video of lead single “This Song,” in which Fogelmanis and Gray shared a passionate kiss. More so, Gray solidified his new persona by joining flirtatious singer-songwriter ROLE MODEL on stage and shared a smooch with him as well. And despite all of this, Gray remained true to his melancholic style of writing while testing his vocal range. At the 2025 VMAs, Gray’s performance of his single “Vodka Cranberry” was so powerful, the entire Grande family stood at the conclusion of his high. If that’s not a popstar move, what is? Personally, I have had the joy of seeing Gray twice in concert: once on his Found Heaven Tour and again at the Governor’s Ball this past summer. I watched him debut new singles at both of those performances and it was truly a magical experience. In addition to Gray, I have seen the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, and other massive pop icons; I can say with complete certainty that Gray’s live vocals, visually stunning sets, impeccable choreography, and true love for the art of performing measure up to that of those talented women. While it makes me emotional to see what was once my niche artist begin to take on a new level of stardom, his ever-growing popularity and newer status in pop music has been a long time coming, and is well-deserved. From singing about vicariously experiencing love and emotion through the eyes of people he sees to a screaming crowd of fans yelling his heartfelt lyrics back at him, Gray has achieved what the small kid in Texas only dreamed of: to be seen and heard.