Conan Gray Releases “Wishbone” Album Ahead of Miami Concert
Conan Gray’s new pop album, “Wishbone,” was released on August 15, roughly a month before the appropriately named “Wishbone Tour” is set to come to Miami. The album has been described in countless forms, but at its core, it’s an exhilarating exploration of heartbreak and self-reflection.
Ahead of Wishbone’s release, Gray put out the single “This Song,” which now serves as the second track of the album. In the music video, Gray begins to construct a narrative that gives a deeper insight into the emotional value of the song. In an interview with Capital Buzz, Gray admits that the song was meant to mislead listeners into believing the album would be more focused on feelings of love rather than heartbreak.
“I wanted to make them have to go through the same pain that I had to go through. Because that’s how relationships work, you know? When you’re in that first moment, you don’t know that it’s gonna end,” Gray said.
In subsequent songs, Gray utilizes similar tools to discuss themes of abandonment, rejection, and fear. The singer works to build a narrative about a relationship that is kept secret, hurting both people in it in the process.
“Vodka Cranberry” was released last month to build anticipation for the album. The song’s music video moved the happy, coming-of-age romance of the first music video into something more sinister. It paints one of the characters as unhappy, pulling away from Gray’s character, Will, in public, whilst still allowing himself to be with him in private.
“I really like how he makes you feel like attached to the music, almost like if you’re really feeling it with him. He makes such simple concepts so deep and relatable to a bunch of different types of people, and I think that’s something really good that everyone should, you know, have listened to at least once in their life,” said sophomore Keisy Arias.
Whilst most of the songs on the album hold a more melancholic tone, there are a couple of songs that act as “breakthrough” moments, with brighter, more electric sounds that allow its themes to pop.
“Romeo” is the first song to truly stand out in this form, calling the singer’s ex-lover out for their toxic actions– claiming that he’s “no Romeo.” Subsequently, “My World” serves as an exploration of newfound freedom after breaking away from the relationship. In this song, anger takes the backseat as the singer lets go of his past relationship and begins enjoying his life more fully.
“I pray that everyone has a little bit of a My World realization at some point in their lives,” said Gray.
Other songs stray more strongly from the topic of love. In “Class Clown,” Gray discusses his childhood and his tendency to use humor to cope. The song’s theme emphasizes how personal this album seems to be.
“Compared to his previous albums like ‘Kid Krow’ and ‘Superache,’ this one stands out to me because it feels less polished, less edited, if you will, but in the best way possible. The older albums leaned heavily into heartbreak and being a teen, but Wishbone feels like it’s about actual growth and messy, real adulthood emotions. It’s like he’s not writing what people expect of him anymore, he’s writing what he really needs to say,” said junior Robert Hurtado.
So far, the most listened to song of the album seems to be “Vodka Cranberry,” with countless fans putting it on the same level as Chappell Roan’s “The Subway.” The song amassed over 25 million listens following its release, placing it above the album’s lead, “This Song.”
Of the newly released songs, fan favorites seem to be “Caramel” and “Actor,” each with over 1.6 million listens 2 days after their release. Listeners have also taken to liking “Eleven Eleven,” the album’s 11th track. This song seems to reflect the album’s name the closest, speaking about signs and the hope they create in the vulnerable time following a break-up.
“During that time, I got paranoid, but I also romanticized fate. I gave meaning to coincidental things—numbers on a microwave, star signs, seeing someone’s initials in strange places,” said Gray in a i-D Magazine interview.
Altogether, the album tells a story of heartbreak and all the hard, unspoken things that come with it, ultimately culminating in acceptance. The storytelling aspects, imagery, and resonating themes woven throughout are a testament to Gray’s ability to connect with his audience.
Conan Gray will be performing at Hard Rock Live on September 22nd, playing songs from his new album along with old fan-favorites. The album in its entirety can be found here.
