Honorary Texas native Conan Gray spent his early teenage years covering songs, writing, and performing music in his bedroom for his YouTube channel. Soon, he garnered the attention of a small yet dedicated audience online, eventually landing a record deal with Republic Records. The singer blossomed into pop stardom after his song “Heather” from his debut album Kid Krow went viral on TikTok. Now, after 3 albums and touring around the world, Gray finds himself revisiting his small town in Texas and rediscovering himself on his new album Wishbone.
In 2023, Gray broke out of his musical shell and experimented with a new sound. Instead of his signature indie-pop sound, the release of his lead single “Never Ending Song” embraced the beats of synth-pop. The single acted as an introduction to Gray’s new era and third studio album, Found Heaven, produced by Max Martin, who has worked with artists such as Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. The record heavily infuses new wave and synth pop elements, reminiscent of the 80s, while still maintaining Gray’s sentimental lyricism. Found Heaven was a bold and stark departure sound-wise from his previous two albums.
However, Wishbone, Gray’s new album, finds the singer returning to his previous sound. Despite this return, Gray manages to make Wishbone feel distinct from his first two records with more vulnerable and undeniably raw lyricism.
Sailing into Wishbone
Not only was this record a return to Gray’s previous style of music, but a reminder of who he is.
Wishbone acts as the fourth studio album from the “Heather” singer. However, the record almost never came to be as the singer had no intention of releasing the songs due to how personal they are. However, after playing the music for his friends, it became an “egregiously niche soundtrack” for them and their lives.
Later, Gray found himself recording the songs with his long-time friend and producer Dan Nigro, who previously worked on the singer’s first two albums, Kid Krow and Superache. Conan wrote over 300 songs for the album. Of those 300, only 12 made it onto the tracklist.
- Actor
- This Song
- Vodka Cranberry
- Romeo
- My World
- Class Clown
- Nauseous
- Caramel
- Connell
- Sunset Tower
- Eleven Eleven
- Care
Album review
The soft strums of a guitar accompanied by Gray’s haunting and wispy vocals act as the opening chords for “Actor”. Gray sings of a past secret relationship and reflects on the pain of hiding the heartbreak that came along after. “Let’s pretend nothing happened, I agree / But you’re a much better actor than me,” he sings. In an interview with Capital Buzz, Gray says he felt that “Actor” was “kind of the perfect way to give people a rundown of exactly how [he] was feeling,” encompassing the entirety of Wishbone’s story from top to bottom.
One of the more upbeat and standout tracks on the album is “My World”. Gray sings of owning his life after the heartbreak of his failed toxic relationship. In the bridge of the song, Conan delivers a sarcastic spoken vocal performance similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Get Him Back!” and Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go”.
“Class Clown” is another standout track on the album. Gray’s soft vocals paired with the soft strumming of the guitar are particularly gut-wrenching as he laments about feeling out of place. In “Caramel”, Gray ventures out into a pop-rock sound with energetic guitar riffs and catchy choruses. “Yeah, you burn inside my memory so well / You caramel, you’re caramel” will be stuck in your head for days.
Overall, Wishbone is one of Conan’s best albums to date. While conveying his rawest and inner-most vulnerability in his music, he sounds confident in his sound, which has been honed to perfection over the years. Wishbone feels like peeking into Gray’s own diary and diving into his world through his deepest thoughts. Not only is this record album of the summer, but the perfect listen after a heartbreak.
A new male pop star is born
Recently, the music industry has been dominated by female pop stars such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX, some of whom have been dubbed the “main pop girlies”. However, there seems to have been a decline in male pop stars over the years. Where are the Harry Styles’? What about the new Shawn Mendes’?
The male pop stars have disappeared, and the pop girl renaissance is in full effect. With the exception of Troye Sivan, who continues to make fun and catchy electropop and dance pop, a perfect artist for a fun night out. It’s been a difficult era for many male artists, to say the least. However, all hope is not lost as Conan Gray continues to dominate in the pop music space.
In the current pop music climate, Gray’s songs feel like a breath of fresh air. The singer is not afraid to go against the grain in music and continues to experiment with new sounds, something many male artists rarely do anymore. His latest record proves he is a master at his craft and a formidable force in pop music. Conan has cemented himself as one of the main male pop stars in pop music with Wishbone.
Final thoughts
Wishbone is out now and is currently available on all streaming platforms. The record is currently one of my favorites from Gray, along with his sophomore album, Superache. Conan wears his heart on his sleeve and explores breaking the short end of a wishbone. Wishbone is the perfect pop album and perhaps the album of the year.
Along with the release of the album, Gray announced on his Instagram that he would be going on tour for the record called The Wishbone Pajama Show. In his post, he encouraged fans to wear their own set of pajamas to the shows. 19 shows have been announced for the tour, with Hemlocke Springs as the opener for all the current dates. Hopefully, Gray will plan to announce more dates in addition to these.
Priscila Ledesma
August 27, 2025 at 2:52 am
Absolutely love Conan’s music. I’ve been a loyal listener since Kid Krow was released. I’ve gotta say, “This Song” was my favorite!!