Breaking a wishbone is a tradition often tied to Thanksgiving, where the person who wins the larger piece is said to have their wish fulfilled. Symbols of good luck, dreams and hope. These themes are found and challenged throughout Conan Gray’s amazing new album “Wishbone.”
Conan Gray is a singer and songwriter for Republic Records. Born on Dec. 5, 1998, he has been creating music since 2013 and has released four albums: “Sunset Season,” “Kid Krow,” “Superache,” “Found Heaven” and now “Wishbone.”
Gray initially made a YouTube channel before his music career, where he would cover music and showcase his art. In 2019, he won the Shorty Award for Best YouTube Musician. Since then, he has evolved and produced songs such as “Heather” and “Maniac,” which quickly gained popularity and received platinum certification, meaning 1 million units for these singles were sold. After “Kid Krow’s” rise to popularity, “Superache” and “Found Heaven” followed.
He has become a popular artist, featured in magazines like VOGUE, performed at music festivals like Lollapalooza in 2024, and has gone on tour multiple times. He’s friends with Olivia Rodrigo, who has a similar fanbase and style of music.
Gray released his new album “Wishbone” on Aug. 15. This album consists of 12 songs, “Actor,” “This Song,” “Vodka Cranberry,” “Romeo,” “My World,” “Class Clown,” “Nauseous,” “Caramel,” “Connell,” “Sunset Tower,” “Eleven Eleven” and “Care.” Two of these songs were released prior to the full album: “This Song” being released on May 30, and “Vodka Cranberry” on July 11.
When I finished listening to the full album, I was left speechless. His voice and the instrumentals are beautiful. I couldn’t help but replay song after song. My top five favorite songs are “Actor,” “Sunset Tower,” “Nauseous,” “Eleven Eleven” and “Vodka Cranberry.” That being said, every song on the album is well-written, emotional and story heavy. The album largely revolves around a failed relationship of Gray’s before the album’s release.
“Actor” is beyond my favorite on the album, and it’s gained a special spot on my playlist. It speaks about keeping his relationship secret, and his ex acting like he didn’t know him. All while Gray was acting like the relationship wasn’t as bad as it truly was. This song encompasses the general emotional atmosphere of the album.
Above all, it stands out amongst all the other songs because of the extremely catchy chorus and bridge. Just when you think it’s done, it gets better. Starting the album with this particular song was a strong decision, so much so that nothing else beats the standard that it sets! Despite this, almost every song is lovely in its own way.
The only critique I have is with songs such as “Class Clown” and “Romeo.” There were components vocally that I just didn’t love, making it difficult to enjoy. When comparing these two songs to the others on the album they don’t stand out. That being said, the storytelling aspect is still incredibly strong, and something I can appreciate.
I had a strong first impression from the album cover; it has a dark blue, clouded background, with Gray wearing a sailor uniform and holding a large wishbone. The general vibes surrounding his album are sort of coastal yet dreamy. Interestingly, there is a different version of this album for different editions of the vinyl and CD covers featuring a pillow and sleep-themed imagery. Gray even referred to his Wishbone tour as the “Pajama Show” because of how the album came to be, which he explained later:
“I named it the ‘Wishbone Pajama Show’ because I wrote so much of the album in bed, that it felt like I needed to kind of bring like the feelings that I had while I was in bed onto stage,” Gray said to Billboard News.
As someone who loves looking into design and creative choices, I definitely have some commentary on the aesthetic. The decision to dress up as a sailor comes off as him setting off on a journey. Going through relationships and experiencing life is a journey in of itself.
The dream imagery not only fits into how the album came to be, but it’s a testimony to the emotions tied to a breakup. Bedrotting, dreaming of love, reflecting on how the individual hurt you, along with romanticizing the good components in the relationship. That being said, I believe it can come across as dreaming of more and wishing the best for yourself despite all the complexities associated.
When an artist like Gray is able to share so much of their personal struggle, it creates a deeper connection and transparency with the audience. Music is something people listen to constantly. It’s a form of self-expression that becomes its own language. Whether you choose to understand the language comes down to your willingness to meet the artist where they are at.
