Many of you know him as the stylish, curly-haired best friend of our favorite pop punk princess, Olivia Rodrigo. Others remember him as that one dude who released the most gut-wrenching (and viral!) ballad of the early TikTok era, aka “Heather.”
And now, Conan Gray has become one of the iconic names in pop music, most notably after the recent launch of his album Wishbone.
Debuting at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200, the album reached the greatest milestone of Gray’s career, along with a whopping 50,000+ copies sold. He’s gotten the chance to embark on his own album tour, setting the stage for a new era of Conan featuring sailor hats, pajamas and actual wishbones! In fact, the 26-year-old artist includes a segment in his show where he and a fan break a wishbone, and the winner selects the next song performance.
Just this week, Gray was given the opportunity to perform his very first Live Lounge session for BBC Radio, which, by the way, is a huge deal. He blessed our ears with his own lyrical hit “Vodka Cranberry” along with a beautiful rendition of Chappell Roan’s “The Subway.” If you have no idea which song I’m referring to, it’s basically that one snippet on TikTok where “she got, she got awayy, she got awayyy.”
You get the vibe.
And as the influx of trending albums makes their way onto the charts, one thing remains clear: Conan Gray is a new force to be reckoned with.
What is Wishbone even about?
Taking notes from lyrical mastermind Taylor Swift, Gray weaves in vivid imagery throughout his lyrics, crafting a familiar story that many can relate to. Wishbone resembles the poetry of Swift’s album folklore, yet remains unique in the sense that it revolves around one relationship and one person’s own point of view for the entire album. More specifically, he introduces what we Gen-Z’ers like to call a “situationship,” where one person is more committed to a connection than the other.
Conan Gray is also noted for his tendency to “lose his mind” in his songwriting. In other words, he understands what it feels like to crash out. So if you think about it, he’s just like us college students (especially you STEM majors).
Yet as a communications girl myself, it’s only fitting that I’ve dissected some of his most resonating lyrics that hit us right in the feels. Through songs like “Actor” and “Vodka Cranberry,” Gray perfectly encapsulates the hollow feeling that results from a broken heart. My personal favorite lyric comes from the second, where he sings, “You say we’re fine, but your brown eyes are green this time, so you’ve been crying.” I don’t know about you guys, but my eyes are brown, and they turned green from listening to that song. I gotta hand it to him; the dude seriously knows how to deliver some vivid imagery.
And it gets even more interesting when you hear a song like “My World,” where Gray transitions into his pop-punk era during the bridge. He shout-sings “A full year later, you’re calling me back/ You say you’re sorry for treating me like trash/ It’s totally okay, dude, I really don’t mind/ You got your revenge by being stuck with your life.” Holy ouch. But also…he kind of ate with that one.
I’ve also found another songwriting topic of Conan’s to be especially powerful: his family upbringing. Plenty of artists write about their heartbreaks and the sadness associated with them, but Gray delves deeper. His lyrics exemplify the childhood experiences that have shaped his entire life, from enduring harsh bullying to a painful family divorce. Whether it be a heightened fear of commitment or his tendency to self-isolate, Conan relates to heartbreak on a much more complex level.
The Wishbone Pajama Shows
Yes, you read that right.
Why would a concert be called a pajama party, you might ask?
For the singular reason of audience EXPERIENCE, rather than simply watching the show. Conan and his team advertised the tour with the aesthetics of whimsicality, sleepovers and storytelling. It encourages an intimate gathering of fans, where people feel more engaged in the interactive performance. Prior to arrival, Gray even told his fans to pack their “sailor caps and pajama pants,” hinting at what they might expect throughout the performance.
To add that element of storytelling, the artist divided his concert into “acts,” with each one presenting a bundle of songs that relate to its own theme. Closer to the end of the show, Conan pulls out a literal wishbone to break with one fan in the audience. The winner is allowed to select the next song out of two options, of which Gray is meant to perform for the final act. This particular moment is especially memorable for fans because they look forward to playing a role in Conan’s show, which further emphasizes those ideas of interaction and symbolism for the Wishbone tour.
And if you weren’t lucky enough to snag a ticket to this incredible experience (aka me) then do not worry! Several fans do the kind deed of livestreaming and posting their videos online, not to mention Conan’s very own posts on his social media.
At the end of the day, Conan Gray reminds us that Wishbone isn’t just his story. We can all find ourselves relating to some bit of the album: the connection, the heartache and the growth. It poetically captures what it means to love and experience loss, and can even serve as a soundtrack for life. In fact, if there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that Wishbone has us wishing for more.