Conan Gray embraces romantic failures on Sophomore album Superache. Having come a long way since his older YouTube videos, Gray is now being dubbed as the Prince of Sad Songs.
Gray yearns for a type of cinematic romance in the song ‘Movies’. He sings: “I want a love like the movies / I look at you like you’re perfect for me.” He admits that he’s been “living life in fiction,” and describes that feeling of yearning so accurately, that it’s hard to not already be captivated by Gray’s tone and lyrics. Up next, the theme of yearning is continued. ‘People Watching’ is one of the most popular songs off the album, and it is clear why. This track is for all of us who feel like we’re the problem in our relationships. He sings: “Cut people out like tags on my clothing / I end up all alone, but I still keep hoping.” He describes the phenomenon of people watching, and describes that feeling of subtle jealousy we feel when looking at the lives of others. My personal favourite song on the track is the upbeat track ‘Disaster’. The melody is incredibly rhythmic, and it is impossible to not get up and dance as Gray sings about his relationship mishaps. Two and a half minutes is enough for Gray to stun and compel. Following ‘Disaster’ we have ‘Best Friend’. A song about friendship in which Conan Gray isn’t afraid to let go and drop some F-Bombs. He sings: “That’s my fucking best friend / That’s my fucking right hand.” The contrast between the sweet topic and the dramatic performance is astounding, making this song one of the most special on the album.
‘Astronomy’ is next. Here we can see Gray’s full vocal capabilities. He sings about “runaway fathers and mothers who drank” while combining these heart-wrenching lyrics with an even more heart-wrenching depiction of a dying love. He sings: “We’ve travelled the seas / We’ve ridden the stars / We’ve seen everything from Saturn to Mars.” ‘Yours’ presents a Romeo and Juliet level of unrequited love, and sings about that feeling of being used in a relationship. He sings: “I’m somebody you call / When you’re alone / I’m somebody you use / But never own / I’m somebody you touch / But never hold.” This is also a song in which we can see the true power of Gray’s vocals as he belts: “I’m not yours.” Following this masterpiece, we have ‘Jigsaw’. Gray sings about the sad reality of changing yourself to fit somebody else’s standards. In the chorus, we can see Gray’s ability to sing falsetto, and his already effortless performance, becomes even more powerful. Towards the end of the song he sings undoubtedly the most powerful line on Superache: “All I did just to make you happy / And still, you don’t even fucking love me.”
Gray continues the trend of speaking about love and its plights in the song ‘Family Line’. This time, he sings about familial love, or the lack thereof, in the most painful song on the album. When speaking to Apple Music, Gray told them that this song is about watching generations of hurt people pass their pain onto their kids. He sings: “I watch the fathers with their little girls / And wonder what I did to deserve this / How could you hurt a little kid? / I can’t forget, I can’t forgive you.” This line alone is enough to illustrate the weight of this song, even to someone completely unfamiliar with Gray and his works. The song up next, ‘Summer Child’, has a lot to live up to, but Gray doesn’t seem to struggle when it comes to creating music that pulls on the listener’s heartstrings. He sings: “But there’s darkness behind those eyes / Even when you smile / Oh, summer child / You don’t have to act like all you feel is mild.” ‘Footnote’ continues the album’s brilliance. He uses the motif of footnotes throughout the song, and says “a footnote will do” and even sings: “It’s just like the novels / Side characters end up alone.” ‘Memories’ is one of the most powerful songs on the album musically and lyrically as he sings about an ex. He sings: “I promise that the ending always stays the same / So there’s no good reason in make-believing / That we could ever exist again.” Gray’s point is clear, he wants them to exist in his memories only. ‘The Exit’ serves as a wonderful ending to Superache. He sings: “Feels like we had matching wounds / But mine’s still black and blue / And yours is perfectly fine now.” This is a song that describes a situation in which one person moves on, while you’re stuck right where you started.
Overall, I can say Conan Gray has definitely earned the title of Prince of Sad Songs. He has produced a top class album that is perfect for those lonely nights.
Image courtesy of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. Image licence can be found here.