Singer Conan Gray, who first rose to fame on YouTube posting melancholy ballads, released his third studio album “Found Heaven” on April 5, 2024. The album delves into themes of love, loss, heartbreak, and the beauty in vulnerability across 13 tracks. According to Rolling Stone, Gray made it a point to go against what was expected of him with the album, instead experimenting with 80s-style power ballads inspired by icons such as David Bowie and A-Ha. Although he stuck to his typical mellow rhythms and tones, for the first time, Gray used the album to express real life emotions from a recent heartbreak, rather than hypothetical ones like in his past two albums. The major artistic shift of “Found Heaven” did not go unnoticed, and seems to represent the beginning of a new era for Gray.
The first, and titular track on the album, “Found Heaven” encapsulates a journey from self-doubt to the realization that love can be redeeming. With the lyrics “Don’t be scared little child, of that feeling, you’re in love, you found Heaven,” Gray seems to be sending a message about how one must accept their own identity in order to fully embrace love from others. The instrumentals in the song feel celestial or omnipotent in a way, which seem to reflect the concepts of Heaven and “God in the sky” repeated throughout the song. This sense of reminisce does not end with the first track on the album.
Gray’s favorite song on the album is “Alley Rose,” the last song he wrote for the project. In this punk-like song, Gray paints a picture of being left behind by someone you love, both physically and emotionally. He repeats the lyric, “oh where did you go alley rose,” both symbolizing a feeling of abandonment while also paying homage to the famous Abbey Road, the street Gray faced heartbreak in his own life. This double entendre portrays a level or maturity in Gray’s work that wasn’t as present in previous pieces. Gray’s first break up, the one that inspired the album, was both eye-opening and painful for him, which showed through in his music. Interestingly, Gray expresses how he feels like the heartbreak was worth it, because he was able to discover so many facets of himself that he never knew were there before.
Although the album is largely about the ups and downs of love, Gray sings about a variety of emotions and concepts on the album.“Bourgeoisieses” strays away from the main theme of the album and focuses on Gray’s childhood economic status and how it has affected him. The track’s upbeat rhythm stands out from others on the album, and adds diversity in mood and content. The story of the song seems to be from the perspective of his younger self, and intentionally misspells the plural for bourgeoisie, perhaps to poke fun at the rich and the futility of luxury, or joke at a past version of himself who was so concerned with being a member of the upper-class with no knowledge of that it was truly like.
As far as the other tracks on the album, many feature similar themes, making the album blend together a bit too much. Though each song has its own ideas and story, the rhythm and similar moods make it difficult to understand and identify the different stories Gray is trying to convey through his lyrics. On the contrary, the similarities between tracks create a sense of consistency, and the overall theme of loss and appreciation for the pain of past relationships is communicated well through Gray’s high quality lyrics. It is clear that he is passionate and cares about making his songs reflect his emotions, and finds inspiration from many common experiences that allow his listeners to relate to his lyrics and the stories they tell. For example a favorite track of mine is “Forever With Me,” which tells a story of a falling out with someone and the negative feelings towards them following it. The song goes on to express acceptance and gratitude for that person and the experiences they brought to Gray. The song can be applied to a romantic relationship or friendship, making it applicable to many situations and relatable for many.
Ultimately, “Found Heaven” covers various different topics, which ensures that all kinds of people can relate to it in some way or another. It feels as though Gray is allowing listeners to come on this journey with him and he deciphers what it truly means to love someone, whether or not they love you back. At the moment, there is no album that is able to capture the essence of a “Found Heaven,” or any sort of spiritual journey the way this album does. For that reason, “Found Heaven” receives a 4/5.
