From heart-wrenching, sentimental beats to carnival alien sounds, Conan Gray has encapsulated the highs and lows of heartbreak in his new album “Found Heaven.” This electric, ’80s-like album reminds us of drinking a Slurpee at an arcade in “Stranger Things.”
Conan Gray, a 25-year-old YouTuber turned singer, is known for capturing Gen Z’s woes and writing lyrics that rip your heart out and stomp all over it (literally). In “Found Heaven,” he does it in a yellow and black leather jacket.
Conan’s newest album takes a leap that surprises fans and takes them on a new journey to electropop.
Gray first debuted this shift when he released “Never Ending Song,” which featured a deeper, more mature voice, surrounded by electrifying beats.
Although Conan’s new voice horrified most, we enjoyed the deeper tones he used in this video. The low tone complemented the higher synth and beat, making a cohesive and catchy song that shouldn’t work but does.
The long-awaited album finally came out on April 5, with 4 singles and an entirely new sound. “Found Heaven” features 13 tracks total, from classic Conan ballads to electropop, all with an ’80s twist.
The first song, titled “Found Heaven,” sets the tone for the rest of the album. We were thrown off guard at first by the dark acapella, but once we kept listening, we were eased into the mood of this new musical journey.
“Found Heaven” tells a story of growth, realizing that sometimes leaving is the best choice you can make. Conan demonstrates this in a string of heart-wrenching lyrics, followed by a musical composition of reassurance through something that sounds like early ’80s disco music. Overall, we felt that this was a bizarre but perfect start to the album, encapsulating the deep heartbreak of losing someone.
“Fainted Love,” a song about longing and unrequited love, got us in our feels. The song represents the contrast of wanting someone so much despite them pushing you away.
The song ends on an unsatisfying note, settling, which is too common in modern relationships. Ouch.
The next song, “Lonely Dancers,” is the epitome of contrast. Conan sings about yearning for romantic company with a composition of upbeat and electric background music. This song is about finding comfort in each other’s pain. We thought this was a bouncy, upbeat song that could be played in the line to win a prize at a local carnival.
This song is the epitome of what we like to call the happy/sad genre of music, or songs with sad lyrics but an upbeat melody, giving them a somewhat sarcastic or optimistic tone. We’ve noticed this in common with a lot of Gray’s music, including “The Exit” and “Movies” from Superache and “Wish You Were Sober” and “Little League” from Kid Krow. Much of the music world bops along to these songs, only to look at the lyrics and find that their favorite hype song is undeniably emo.
“Alley Rose,” a play on the UK’s Abbey Road, is yet another heartbreaking song about a lover leaving, and trying to savor every last moment. This song is upbeat, but tragically catching. Singing this in public with no background music would cause a passerby to recommend therapy. The song ends on a repetitive and catchy beat that surpasses all of our expectations.
Next, “Bourgeoisieses” surprised us with an alien beat and a ballad on the wealthy written by a man worth millions. In the Gatsby-esque piece, Gray recounts his regard for the rich as a young child growing up with fluctuating financial circumstances. He even spells “Bourgoisieie” wrong to add to the ridiculousness of the song.
The song embraces maximalism and uses every sound known to man to create a distinct tone that separates this song from the rest of the album. It’s repetitive, it’s bouncy, and it’s clear Gray tapped into a new part of his brain to write this song. If you felt like grabbing a pogo stick and jumping along to the song, you’re not alone.
The album ends on a devastating note. “Winner,” a song about severing ties with loved ones and feeling absolute defeat is heartbreaking. This song contrasts with the rest by having sad lyrics but also an almost melancholic and nostalgic composition. Conan beautifully captures the struggles of growing up and the brutal reality of it.
A heartbreaking song to end a heartbreaking album. “Found Heaven” by Conan Gray takes listeners on a disco of emotions. From the highs of neon red love to the lows of deep blue heartbreak, Conan put out a mix of songs that contrast production and lyrics. We thoroughly enjoyed this album, Conan’s new voice, and can’t wait to see how he shatters our hearts next.
