Defying all expectations
CONAN GRAY, ON THE EVE OF HIS AUSSIE TOUR, EXPLAINS WHY HE CHANGED THINGS UP
Gen Z star singer Conan Gray is no dummy.
Besties with Olivia Rodrigo, the former Youtuber is more than making his mark as a singer and performer.
His third studio album, Found Heaven, cements Gray as a key player in the industry.
“My biggest goal above all with this album was to surprise people,” Gray, 25, told Insider from his Los Angeles home. “It is my third album and I knew what I was expected to do because I’m not a big dummy, contrary to popular belief. I knew that I wanted to do the opposite of what people expected. I also just truthfully, I’m a young adult, I wanted to experiment around and try things and just see all the versions of myself that I could be. I think that this album, I hope, will surprise people.”
From the man himself, what did Gray think people would have expected him to do?
“My first two albums (Kid Krow and Superache) were very much a lot more quiet and singer songwriter,” he explained. “And this album is loud and singer songwriter so I think it’s a little different. As well, I just wanted to try something that I think would make people just wonder why I’m being so crazy. Life would be so boring if we weren’t all losing our minds.”
Gray clarified that he didn’t really think people found him dumb.
“Well, some people probably think I’m a dummy. Maybe I think I’m a dummy again.”
Gray is most definitely not dumb. Speaking in a gen z stream of consciousness, he talks of inspirations like Human League, David Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys.
You can feel all of those influences in the album but it is very now, very 2024.
“Also just generally like the greatest hits of the 80s and the 70s,” he said. “I was living kind of in this delusion while I was making the album because I was going through this really painful experience. I was going through this really sad breakup, and I just kind of obsessively listened to 70s and 80s music because I needed to act like I didn’t exist in 2024. I think that that’s kind of why the album turned the way it is.”
Watching movies from the 80s proved inspirational too. Over a bowl of chilli, Gray and his best friend from sixth grade (Ashley) fell in love with the iconic Dirty Dancing.
“It changed our lives,” he said. “We were sobbing. I remember sitting in that moment with Ashley just being like, ‘wow, I would really love to live in this moment a little longer’. And I think that this album was me just saying, I’m just going to sit in this little moment for a little longer.”
Gray has always written about personal experiences so reliving that break-up hasn’t been too traumatic. Or, simply, he is “used to it now”.
“My whole way of processing emotions is through music and through music videos and through just making art. The process of writing the songs, talking about the songs and seeing the songs and going on tour and singing the songs and all these countries is all just massively healing. So by the time, the songs have come out and I’ve sung them, I’m usually just like, already pretty much, healing over that thing that I’m singing about.”
He continued: “My main form of catharsis is just writing. It is the only reason why I do any of this is because I love writing songs. Everything else is crazy but writing songs is what I have been put on earth to do, and I love that more than anything.”
Gray will start his global Found Heaven tour in Australia. He will play ICC Sydney on July 17.
“I can’t wait to be drinking a cup of Australian coffee and to be with my Australian fans hearing their accent as they sing these lyrics. It is going to be amazing.”
Unconventional is a good word to describe Gray. Doing the unexpected will continue to be his guide. That approach has won Gray millions of fans, including Noah Cyrus and chart topper Halsey, who has described him as her “dream collaborator”.
“There’s not really a rule book past album two. I feel like it’s all just been a fluke anyways,” he said. “I’m like, why am I here? What’s going on? So, yeah, if there was a rule book, I would love to read it because it is confusing, you know? And so I’m just happy to be here, happy to have a roof over my head, happy to be singing songs. And with the next album, god knows what I’ll do but I won’t be going through my first break-up slash falling in love for the first time so I’m sure it’ll be different from this album for sure.”