Since the beginning of his career with his debut EP Sunset Season in 2018, musical artist Conan Gray has long been heralded as one of the great pop artists of this generation. He delivers heartbreaking songs such as “Heather,” which currently holds over 1.5 billion streams. Gray continued his success with his 2022 album Superache, renowned for its stunning vocals and lyricism. Recently, Gray released his brand new album, Found Heaven.
Found Heaven, released on April 5, explores the idea of falling in and out of love while simultaneously living life on his own terms. Typically, Gray is known for his songs portraying young heartbreak laced with devastating production. However, in Found Heaven, Gray adopted a largely unfamiliar ’80s synth-pop vibe throughout the album. Even so, his soulful lyricism stayed somewhat the same.
As expected, the album starts with the title track, Found Heaven, which explores a somewhat new musical topic for Gray. Dedicated fans know that he survived lots of childhood trauma and lived in a highly religious household. He sings mournfully about his experience with religion, but he also highlights the beauty that new love can bring. This track serves as an introduction to Gray’s lower voice register and the ’80s production. I like the overall message in the song, but the production was far too developed and took away from Gray’s singing.
Another song that missed the mark for me is “Bourgeoisieses.” Out of all the songs I’ve heard from Gray, this is by far my least favorite. Put simply, the Bourgeoisie class is portrayed as the wealthy capitalist social class. Gray directly references this repeatedly in the main chorus, which becomes annoying tremendously quickly. There is practically no substance to the song whatsoever besides the over-the-top production once again; additionally, his voice is altered so much that it doesn’t even sound like him anymore. Compared to his classic, meaningful ballads, this song serves no purpose other than providing an upbeat, unserious tune.
On the positive spectrum is Found Heaven’s fifth track and fifth pre-release single, “Alley Rose.” This song is reminiscent of Gray’s previous masterpieces by putting his voice front and center and the production in the background. Although the synth-mixed audio is still noticeable, it enhances Gray’s strength and range rather than drowning out the profound lyricism. “Alley Rose” explains how someone left Gray’s relationship without warning, although he was deeply in love. Gray belts out his pain as he sings, “I swore eyes were made to cry / But you’re the first person that I’ve seen / Who’s proven that might be a lie / So don’t leave me hangin’ alone again.” I love deeply emotional lyrics that evoke emotion in the listener, and this song was no different.
To conclude the album is my favorite track: “Winner.” This song was released on Aug. 25, 2023, as the second single off Found Heaven. I vividly remember listening to this ballad in my dad’s car for the first time and audibly shrieking about how much I loved it. In “Winner,” Gray proved his songwriting to be among the likes of music giant Taylor Swift. He sings soulfully about leaving home at a young age and letting go of the urge to prove himself as the winner instead giving up the title to the person who made him miserable. In the chorus, he sings, “Cause now there’s no one / Who ever has done better / At makin’ me feel worse / Now you really are the winner.” This melody encapsulates the true meaning of Found Heaven: Gray paving his own way in life while experiencing love that will forever impact him.
Although I believe Found Heaven leaned too extensively into the ’80s production style, the overall vibe works as a new, surprising addition to Gray’s discography. Overall, the album is synth-pop at its finest, with upbeat, melodic tunes that are sure to keep some of his fans content. I’m not too fond of the tone that Gray decided to use, but I applaud his use of lyricism as an artist once again. Found Heaven is still, without a doubt, a quintessential work of Conan Gray.
