Written by Davis McClure
Conan Gray’s fourth studio album “Wishbone” arrived in full on August 15, 2025. The album highlights the canon pipeline from deep infatuation to fallout to the fragile possibility of reconciliation in any summer fling. What makes this album so vulnerable is because of how he wrote it. Gray revealed he wrote this album without any intention of releasing it. Writing it in bed and in between shows while on his previous “Found Heaven” tour, Gray accidentally captured his most personal and honest work to date.
This album was introduced by a trilogy of singles released throughout the summer. Corresponding music videos were released for each.
The trilogy began with This Song. A love letter encased in strings. This song takes us back home to his bedroom in Texas. With ‘eyes like heaven’ and a ‘voice like rain,’ the subject of this song sneaks through Gray’s window, Joey Potter from Dawson’s Creek style. The track takes listeners through the early stages of a relationship. The intimacy of the unexplored is woven throughout the 3:33 minutes. “I’m too shy to tell you the words on my mind.” But as the song
progresses, Conan admits in the chorus, “I’ll say it straight, I wrote this song about you.” The music video runs through fields under Texas skies, captures Gray’s first on camera kiss, and costars Corey Fogelmanis.
Favorite Line: You’re singing obnoxious, I’m laughing like spring.
But, like all situationships, they end. After all, a love song from the king of crashouts felt fairly suspicious. Vodka Cranberry was the second single released of the three. The song drags us through the long and excruciating end of the affair. This song soundtracks the interest’s negligence to address the breakup-shaped elephant in the room between the two. “You casually steal back your T-shirt and your polo cap; yeah, I notice everything you do.”
From “February fourth through the sixteenth of May,” Gray went a little insane. He kept track of everything his interest did. Foreshadowing his temporary psychosis in Eleven Eleven, Gray sings of finding signs in everything.
Favorite Line: Your brown eyes are green this time, so you’ve been crying.
To conclude, Caramel
Caramel represents the reconciliation between the two lovers. Conan uses caramel as a metaphor to describe the feeling of reminiscing on a love that brought good memories. Before this, in “Romeo,” he sings, “Never liked kissin’ your mouth with cigarettes on your breath.” But now, he sings, “Your cigarette breath thick on your open mouth, maple and amber clouds and coffee grounds when I think of it now.” Showing how with time, sour things can turn sweet. Emphasizing how nostalgia enhances the positive aspects of situations.
Favorite Line: Maple and amber clouds and coffee grounds when I think of it now.
Actor paints the motion picture of “a summer spent in a coat check.” Gray repeats “Nobody saw us” throughout the first three lines. This repetition can be interpreted as a way of reassurance to his partner and even to himself.
Actor serves as a context for the entire album’s content. A relationship kept secret and ultimately disregarded entirely. After the breakup, the subject of the song acted like the singer didn’t exist at all. He found alternate ways for moving on. “You’ve spent the summer drinking, while I spent it being erased.”
“A friend of mine asked you, ‘Have you talked to Conan?’ You didn’t react; you said, “I barely even f****** know him.”
Throughout the chorus, Gray mourns a relationship that never got the chance to see the light of day. “The church bells won’t stop ringing for an undead wedding day.”
“And I tried to hide the feeling, but it just won’t go away. Let’s pretend nothing happened, I agree. But you’re a much better actor than me.”
Gray uses a double entendre here, as his interest is an actual actor while also acting like he isn’t affected by the breakup. This is also seen in Vodka Cranberry when Gray sings of his partner lying to his face about how he truly feels, forcing Conan to end things.
Favorite Line: Like kicking feet under the whole damn world’s table
Romeo: While this track is my least favorite on the album, it does have one of my favorite bridges. It’s super fun to scream with the windows down and marks the pivotal moment where the rose-colored lenses come off and see them for what they really are.
Favorite Line: I was out prayin’ for you, that’s why my friends pray for me.
My World: The perfect song to soundtrack finally choosing yourself. It’s wrapped up in synths and a bright melody, but the lyrics offer more of a recommendation to take a long walk off a short dock.
Favorite Line: You got your revenge by being stuck with your life.
Class Clown: Everything comes back around; I still feel like the class clown.
Class clown might be Conan’s most personal track to date. He sings of his trailer park upbringing and how the way he grew up affects him now. It dives into the psychological aspect of being a “class clown.” Despite his upbringing being years ago, he still feels connected to that part of himself.
Favorite Line: If I stop laughing, all the blood will just start pouring out.
Nauseous:
Perfectly describes the moment when you finally find something that you’ve dreamed of, but it’s tainted by the experiences you had in the past. “Everyone trusts you, they love you out loud, you won’t hurt a fly, but we’re flying up now, and all that goes up, well, it’s got to come down.” Despite seemingly having everyone’s blessing to date this person, Gray sees the perfect as a sign of ruin.
“Maybe I’m here waiting for someone to get through my years of trying to trust them. I know that it’s in me to really love someone, but that’s not a thing that I learned from my loved ones”
Favorite Line: Behind every kiss is a jaw that could bite.
Connell: Gray sings of seeing his ex out in public with a new girl. He sings of jealousy as he spent his entire summer in a secret relationship. Tying back to Actor, he sings, “You were never outside with me; spent my summer months in your unwashed sheets.” This relationship was kept so private that even his own parents were none the wiser. Throughout this track, Gray sings, “You remind me of how good it feels to hurt; yeah, you remind me of how little I deserve.” These lyrics remind me of the quote “We accept the love we think we deserve” from The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The singer grew up with an abusive alcoholic father, and this track gives us a glimpse into how that has affected his love life. “Yeah, you remind me of my father slurring words. So, you remind me of how little I deserve.”
Favorite Line: But deep in my bones I know pain is what I earned.
Sunset Tower: This track is severely slept on. It puts into words the complicated feelings of trying to move on while having mixed feelings about the person.
“Spare me all the stories of how you’re moving on. Lying to myself when I say that’s what I want. Part of me just wanted some proof; it’s hurting you in the way it’s hurting me too.” Conan sings of wanting any form of closure, considering his ex is acting like he doesn’t exist.
Favorite Line: Part of me just wanted some proof; it’s hurting you in the way it’s hurting me too.
Eleven Eleven is a play on the popular superstition to make a wish when the clock strikes 11:11. The temporary psychosis after a breakup where you see signs literally everywhere. Wishbones, clovers, black cats, the list goes on and on and on…
The very human need to make sense of nothing. After investing so much time, it’s hard to give it all up. This song acknowledges the unrealistic aspect of this perspective but, nonetheless, persevering.
“There’s wishbones and clovers and numbers from heaven.”
A small easter egg I found was that “This Song,” the only love song on this album, is exactly 3:33 minutes long. A reference to this line about angel numbers. “’Cause I’ll wait for nothing, pretending we’re something; my mind lies for you and I.”
Favorite Line: Shapes in the stars to invent our connection
Care: Care is the perfect soundtrack to the complicated feelings that come with hating someone you only freshly stopped loving. This track ventures through the post-breakup aftermath. That feeling where you know the relationship had to end, but you still care about them. Breakups don’t follow a linear timeline. This album highlights that. “I don’t cry because it is over; I just don’t feel like I could love again. I told myself that I’m over you, but I care.”
Many listeners pointed out that the vocal flips and yodel-like inflection Gray uses throughout the song are fairly reminiscent of the Cranberries’ lead singer Dolores O’Riordan.
“I’m not trying to say that I want you back, but it’s nice to linger in the past.”
Favorite Line: I’m not trying to say that I want you back, but it’s nice to linger in the past.
DELUXE TRACKS:
Conan Gray provided the perfect sequel to an album made fresh off a breakup to a more mature,
darker, and bruised sound on April 24th, 2026.
Do I Dare- The vocal flips throughout the chorus make this feel like Care’s older brother. It tosses and turns with the idea of moving on and working on himself. It soundtracks the loneliness after sharing such a strong connection with someone. It walks the fine line of making progress and throwing it all away to break no-contact.
“I saw a wren fly at a window, and if I befriend you, will I crash in magnificent blur?” He expresses how he isn’t sure if he could trust himself being friends with the subject again because he might ultimately end up where he was before. Much like a bird crashing into a window, he wouldn’t see it coming.
“Fall to the curb, rotting alone like when you left me first. It took a year to repair what I lost. Might take another if I call.”
He reflects on how this person has made him feel and act for the past year and decides if it’s
worth it to reach out (it’s not).
Favorite Line: “And if I befriend you, will I crash in magnificent blur?”
House That Always Rains presents as a light and breezy, 90s-themed song sonically, while touching on childhood trauma and attachment issues. I interpret this song as being similar to a quote by Richard Kadrey, “When you’re born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire.” This family dynamic being the only love the subject knows has rooted a deep mistrust in any true connection.
The “Memories” singer uses this analogy of a house that always shakes/rains to show that the family dynamics the subjects experienced directly impacted their view on love and possibly developed an avoidant attachment style.
“Come and find me, ’cause they’re shouting in the house that always shakes. Doesn’t that explain why we’re afraid of love? Don’t that explain why we’re afraid of us?” These deluxe tracks are context to the lore dropped in the original album. In the standard edition, emotions are heightened since everything was fresh. Now we’re further along in the breakup, and feelings are more settled in.
“If I could do one thing over again, I would be less of a lover to you and more of a friend. I would’ve got it in my head that it’s not about me. While I was scared of being left, you were scared of being seen, truly seen.” In the bridge, Gray further solidifies this recognition that the breakup wasn’t personal but rather linked to his partner’s trauma.
Favorite Line: “While I was scared of being left, you were scared of being seen, truly seen.”
Door– is much darker than the rest of the tracks. It’s reminiscent of Lilac Wine by Jeff Buckley. This song shows Gray’s continued willingness to experiment in his work. The darker, melancholic sound further adds to the plot of yearning and reminiscing. It feels like you’re in the final scene of a sad movie. The lyrics show acceptance but also serve as an admittance of guilt.
“You were never even good to me, falling for the person you could be. But he doesn’t exist, so I just need to close this door.” Gray is accepting that this version he’s created of his lover isn’t real, and he needs to move on.
Favorite line: “Falling for the person you could be.“
Moths opens with a transition from door: “The door is closed, but the window’s open.”
Despite making his closure, he stresses that it’s never really over. He accepts that what he had is gone, but if the subject ever changes his mind, he can “just turn around.” He’s leaving a light on, but he’s not waiting by the window anymore.
“I loved a version of you that you’re washing away, and I’ve been drowning myself, trying to cover the drain.” Throughout this project Conan grieves the role this actor played in his life. Now that there’s nothing left of this person, Gray reflects on grasping at straws in order to keep this guy in his life.
“If you wanted, you could meet me on the other side of the street. No touch, no kissing; let’s just talk it out. I’ll meet you in the middle; I will always be your friend.” This line shows that Conan cares more than just romantically but as a person as well.
Favorite Line: “I’ve been drowning myself, trying to cover the drain.”
The Best: I hate to be that guy that says it was better live… But seriously, hearing this live was an unforgettable moment. Despite it being unreleased at the time, the whole arena was screaming every single word back.
The best soundtracks the aftermath of no contact. That feeling when you just want to be done with the situation and move on. “I swear if I saw you tonight, we could make peace with it, not have to sleep with it haunting me all of the time.” Imagine not only going through this horrible breakup but also writing two albums about it and having to sing those songs every night on tour.
“Sometimes I wonder, were we ever even friends? Sometimes I wonder if it really is the end. I wanna watch you while the words come out your mouth, that you don’t miss me like I know you miss me now.”
Conan calls out the unaffected front that his ex has put up after the breakup, as mentioned in Actor.
This song wraps a bow on the album’s theme of grieving and finally reaches the acceptance stage (or at least wants to).
Favorite Line: “I wanna watch you while the words come out your mouth.”
This album truly is one of my favorites to date. It encapsulates every stage of loss, and the deluxe presents a mature, fresh sound for Conan. This album has soundtracked my life for the past 9 months, each play causing nausea, crashouts, and joy. So thanks… Conan?
Rating: 9.8/10
Favorites: Eleven Eleven, The Best, Moths