Conan Gray’s “Found Heaven” will break your heart with its message about living life on your terms while simultaneously making you dance to its unique ‘80s synth beats.
The pop sensation’s third studio album, which Gray released on April 5, vastly differs from the rest of his discography. While the previous albums played into his indie pop persona with lots of sad lo-fi and belting, “Found Heaven” steps outside these confines to show off a new side of the singer.
Since indie music is my favorite genre, I have a soft spot for his previous albums. However, this rebrand is an excellent choice that distinguishes him from other artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers, whom the media often compares him to, while diversifying his music to include more dance songs. His voice perfectly fits this upbeat style, and his use of his lower register added a nice juxtaposition to the energetic pop moments.
Gray does a beautiful job exploring the emotions following a breakup and finding yourself as an individual again. He looks at the toxicity that is often present in relationships and the pain that prevails afterward.
In my favorite song on the album, “Forever With Me,” he examines how the impacts of a relationship stay with you forever and can benefit you even if it doesn’t work out. He sees the joy in the pain with lines like, “I think of all the bloodshed, somehow bittersweet. I’m even smiling now as I sing.”
The production value is incredible, with well-made backing tracks and an outstanding balance of vocal and technical spotlights. The album feels cohesive, and each song seems purposeful. While this is a testament to Gray’s talent, partnering with Swedish producer Max Martin, whose discography includes Katy Perry’s “California Girls” and The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” heightened the tracks.
Gray did a great job choosing the album singles. “Winner,” one of my favorite songs on the album, demonstrated his belting ability and incredible lyricism about his childhood trauma. He hits at the heartstrings when he screams, “How do I somehow feel guilty when you’re the one who let it get this bad?” As the final song, it tied the whole thing up with a bow.
“Alley Rose,” the fifth and final single on the album, is about a person grasping onto a relationship they know is ending. Gray beautifully portrays this desperation in the chorus when he begs, “Don’t leave me hanging alone again.”
He balanced out these slower, more emotional songs with three more upbeat singles.
“Killing Me” has the same emotion as the slower singles, with a cool bridge and a catchy chorus. I would love to yell, “I don’t wanna talk, just go away,” in a massive crowd at one of Gray’s concerts.
“Never Ending Song” has a fun rhythm with an excellent reverb effect, making it marketable to the general public. While it is not a stand-out track, I understand why he picked it as a single.
Similarly, “Lonely Dancers” is a perfect fit for a single since it is great to dance and sing along to. However, it is not the strongest musically.
The one song I actively disliked was “Bourgeoisieses.” It’s supposed to be a satirical piece about people aspiring to be rich to avoid consequences. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the album and repeats the same line probably 30 times.
Gray has a song, “Affluenza,” on his debut album, “Kid Krow,” with the same message with a catchier tune and better delivery. I’d choose to listen to that one instead.
Besides this song, my only complaint with the album was most of the songs sounded very similar and were repetitive. While the lyrics and meaning of the songs were distinct, I would have liked to see more variety in the backing music and more verses.
I highly recommend listening to “Found Heaven” and hope Gray experiments with this style more.
