Conan Gray Returns With “Wishbone”
Conan Gray recently returned with ‘Wishbone,’ his fourth studio album and by far his most vulnerable and confident work to date. Across twelve tracks, selected from more than 300 written over the past two years, Gray traces every stage of a relationship from the euphoric rush of falling in love to the gut-wrenching aftermath of heartbreak.
Beneath its soaring choruses and memorable bridges, the unapologetically queer lyricism in ‘Wishbone’ is mostly devastating but always beautiful. The title uses a wishbone as a metaphor for love: a gamble of intimacy where two people place their hope in something that can only break, and one inevitably walks away with more. Gray has described ‘Wishbone’ as the album he’s always wanted to make, and it’s the first one he fully owns.
Reuniting with longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, Gray frames ‘Wishbone’ as an older sibling to ‘Kid Krow.’ Building on the intimate storytelling of his debut, it has a more mature sound and production, reminiscent of his second album, ‘Superache.’ While his last album, ‘Found Heaven,’ leaned heavily into shimmering synth-pop, ‘Wishbone’ embraces the textures of 1990s pop and alternative rock, drawing inspiration from artists like The Chicks and The Cranberries. Debuting at number one on the Billboard Album Sales Chart and number three on the Billboard 200, it also marks Gray’s highest-charting release.
The album opens with “Actor,” a breakup song that sums up ‘Wishbone’ emotionally and musically. Violins and drums build up the song as Gray voices his resentment at how effortlessly his ex is able to move on and pretend nothing happened. The tone immediately shifts in “This Song,” one of Gray’s rare love songs and the album’s lead single. The track’s dreamy strings and sweeping production create a cinematic nostalgia, painting a flashback to the high of a relationship before it fell apart.
“Vodka Cranberry” follows as a yell-worthy anthem of unreciprocated love and the desperate need for closure from someone you’re not ready to let go of. Its anxious, raw energy leads perfectly into the upbeat sass of “Romeo,” which bursts open with mariachi horns. Gray laughs and pokes fun at the wreckage of a relationship, masking the humiliation and betrayal of giving everything to someone who never cared in the same way.
“My World” lightens the mood as a bright, playful song about reclaiming yourself after heartbreak. The spoken-word bridge is cheeky and confident, as Gray finally acknowledges how the other person projected their insecurities onto him. “Class Clown” is a jarring followup and a sibling to ‘Superache’’s “Family Line.” He reflects on how intertwined his childhood and present selves are and the act of performing joy so convincingly that no one questions if he’s really okay.
Next is “Nauseous,” containing some of the album’s most devastating lyrics. Gray describes love as a “threat,” singing about his fear of intimacy after his past experiences have left him unable to trust anyone again.
“Caramel” proceeds to deliver the perfect pop melody as Gray sings about the way people linger in our lives long after they’ve left. The next song, “Connell,” is deceptively soft with its light guitar and gentle vocals but brutally self-deprecating lyrics. Named after the character from Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People,’ it’s about bending over backwards to be seen by someone who continuously hurt him. As he questions whether the pain was something he deserved, the song carries through the album’s themes of feeling like an “experiment” and how some relationships can reinforce the worst thoughts we have of ourselves.
“Sunset Tower” is less painful but still resentful, as he hears how an ex has moved on and wishes to know less about their seemingly better life. Fittingly the eleventh track, “Eleven Eleven” is filled with superstitions and his desperate search for signs as he tries to redefine himself after losing someone. The album closes with “Care,” featuring some of Gray’s most impressive vocals. It’s a bittersweet ending, as he acknowledges that he’s better off without someone, yet still cares for them and doubts whether anyone will ever understand him in the same way again.
‘Wishbone’ is a true masterpiece that captures Conan Gray’s most honest and vocally dynamic work yet. As he prepares for his Wishbone Pajama Show tour this fall, it’s safe to say he has cemented his place as one of the most compelling and authentic male pop stars of his generation.