Conan Gray

Known for his buoyant, if often melancholy sound, Conan Gray straddles the line between dance music and confessional indie pop. Gray initially emerged online in 2013 with his successful YouTube channel. Over time, he found a dedicated audience who tuned in for videos about his life, as well as his original acoustic- and electronic-inflected songs. In 2018, he gathered a handful of his tracks, including “Generation Why” and “Crush Culture,” on the Sunset Season EP. His full-length debut, Kid Krow, arrived in 2020, hitting number five on the Billboard 200. More tracks arrived in 2021, including “Astronomy” and “People Watching,” leading up to the release of his emotionally potent sophomore album, Superache. His third album, Found Heaven, was issued in early 2024. Born in Lemon Grove, California in 1998, Gray grew up in a multicultural family of Irish and Japanese heritage. He also spent time living in Hiroshima, Japan while his parents cared for his grandfather. After his parents’ divorce, he moved to Texas with his mother and at age 15 launched his YouTube channel (originally called ConanXCanon). Posting vlogs about his life, his interest in art, and acoustic cover songs, he built a loyal following, gaining upwards of 900,000 subscribers. He found similar success on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and SoundCloud. After high school, Gray relocated to Los Angeles, where he enrolled at UCLA. He continued to build his online presence, adding original pop songs to his repertoire. Initially, early songs like “Those Days,” “Lovesick Boys,” and “The Other Side” were more barebones, showcasing his voice and ukulele or guitar. But with 2017′s “Grow” and “Idle Town,” he showcased a move to a more fleshed-out sound, mixing in synth and minor electronic flourishes. In 2018, he released his debut EP, Sunset Season, which featured the singles “Generation Why” and “Crush Culture.” Throughout 2019, Gray released a string of singles, including “Checkmate,” “Comfort Crowd,” and “Maniac.” All of these were included on his full-length debut, the Daniel Nigro-produced Kid Krow. Released in March 2020, the album made a strong showing on the Billboard 200 (hitting number five) and earned praise from the likes of Taylor Swift and Elton John. In keeping with the tradition of his debut, Gray teased his sophomore album with a series of tracks released online, including “Astronomy” and “People Watching,” all of which arrived in 2021. Once again produced by Nigro, Superache arrived in June 2022 and found Gray further expanding his sound, balancing pop hooks with candidly personal songs dealing with abuse, childhood trauma, and heartbreak. 2023 saw Gray deliver the bright synth pop cut “Never Ending Song” and the emotionally charged ballad “Winner,” before teasing his third album with the release of the early 2024 cut, “Lonely Dancers.” Working with producers Max Martin, Greg Kurstin, and Ilya, among others, Gray issued his third studio album, Found Heaven, in March 2024. ~ Matt Collar