Fans of Conan Gray greatly anticipated his brand new album “Found Heaven” since he announced it back in January — myself included.
Gray first emerged on YouTube when he was 15, and soon released an EP titled “Sunset Season.” The singer gained popularity with his debut album “Kid Krow,” which became one of the biggest solo pop albums of 2020.
Since then, Gray has released a sophomore album, “Superache,” and has gained 26.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Although his first two albums delve into heartbreak, “Found Heaven” is the first album where Gray was in a relationship and the album follows his first eventual breakup.
“With ‘Superache,’ I got used to reminiscing and making up stories, whereas this album was a lot more present. I’m just singing about exactly what was happening at the moment or what had happened this year,” Gray said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“Found Heaven” is the first and titular song on the album. It’s the beginning of the relationship where Gray is comparing his newfound relationship to heaven. It’s sweet and upbeat with hopes that this relationship will last.
Following that, “Never Ending Song” continues the upbeat synth-pop and celebrates a relationship that doesn’t seem to die. The song was released prior to the album as a teaser.
The upbeat but heartbreaking theme continues with “Fainted Love,” which details all of the lies Gray’s past love interest caused him, but still insists the fainted love his ex gave him was enough.
Both “Lonely Dancers” and “Alley Rose” were released before the album as teasers. “Lonely Dancers” is one of my favorites from the album and serves as a post-breakup rebound for the night as both parties yearn for their past relationship.
“Alley Rose” is another personal favorite as it is such a heartbreaking song where Gray hopes to find the part of his ex-lover that made him believe that love could be more than heartbreak.
While “The Final Fight” could be about the final conversation between Gray and his ex-lover, fans also theorize that it could potentially be about him coming out to his family.
Most of Gray’s songs on this album are about another person hurting him, but in “Miss You” he details how he pulled away after someone confessed their love for him.
In what is perhaps one of his more political songs, Gray details class status in “Bourgeoisieses.” The song details being in a lower class and wanting the experience of people in the middle class.
“I wanted to make a song that was jokingly saying I want to be part of the bourgeoisie, but not knowing anything about that so that’s why it’s misspelled. It’s a song poking fun at rich people and how ridiculous rich people can be and how ridiculous that world is and how futile and useless of a show of luxury it all is,” Gray said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“Forever With Me” is another song that looks back at the relationship that once was, but ended for the better.
Inspired by Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” “Eye of the Night” takes on a similar feel with references to previous songs and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
“Boys & Girls” discusses falling for someone because of their attractiveness. Along with that, it also details how embarrassing it is that others have crushes on them too.
“Killing Me” and “Winner” were also both released as teasers, and both heartbreaking songs wrap up the album. While “Killing Me” is the end of a romantic relationship, “Winner” details the end of a familial relationship.
This album feels completely distant from his first two albums, but still maintains Gray’s beautiful lyricism. I’m a sucker for 80s synth-pop too, so this album felt like it was made for me.
