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Conan Gray, once again, has written an amazingly gut-wrenching album.

Wishbone by Conan Gray was everything that I dreamed of and more. Gray is known for his emotional and, honestly, gut-wrenching songs, and this album was no different.

When Wishbone was released, Gray made an Instagram post with the caption saying, “[Wishbone is] the album of my life. it’s everything i’ve always wanted to say, but couldn’t quite find the words until now.” He states that his life was changed by writing this album, and that it healed something broken in him. This album genuinely shows that—it shows the part of him that he hasn’t shown before, and it’s so incredible to hear that.

This Song

The first song that I’d like to mention is the second song on the album, and the earliest released. “This Song” was released on May 30, while the rest of the songs (not including “Vodka Cranberry,” which was released mid-July) were released on Aug. 15. When I first listened to “This Song,” I immediately noticed the difference between his previous album, Found Heaven, and Wishbone. 

The first lyric that stuck out to me was “11:11s, they all hear your name,” solely because the time 11:11 is a big part of my life. With one of my friends, I try to text her at 11:11 because she loves to wish at 11:11. This lyric represents that same superstition about wishing on every 11:11 about one specific person.

While “This Song” isn’t my favorite on the album, it genuinely does get better with each listen. It’s very easy to sing along to, which always makes a song a little better.

Nauseous

“Nauseous” touches on Gray’s past relationship trauma and shows his fear of abandonment. “Your love is a threat and I’m nauseous / Scares me to death, how I want it / It’s not common sense, but I’m haunted / By people who’ve left, so you scare me to death” shows his hurt from past relationships. This song shows off Gray’s incredible vocals, but also perfectly encapsulates his feelings towards the situation. The lyricism in this whole album, but especially in this song, is genuinely so incredible.

Eleven Eleven

I knew that I was going to love this song before I even listened to it because of the title. I didn’t realize how truly incredible “Eleven Eleven” was going to be. It’s definitely my favorite on the album. A lyric in this song, “As much as I act like I want to forget it / I still wish for you at 11:11,” connects back to the lyric in “This Song.” It shows the difference between the two moods in the songs because at first, in “This Song,” it felt more spoken with love, but in “Eleven Eleven,” it feels more spoken with pain.

The main point of “Eleven Eleven” is to show the superstitious side of the album. It talks about wishes and also different signs of bad luck. Wishing on things is such a big part of my life, which is likely why it’s my favorite on the album.

It was almost impossible just to choose a few songs to write about from this phenomenal album, so I just have a few honorable mentions that should definitely be listened to. One of these songs is “Connell.” “Connell” is a song that truly encapsulates the feeling of yearning but also shows the ways that past relationships have left scars. It is genuinely such a breathtaking song that broke my heart almost immediately. I highly recommend it. The second honorable mention is “Actor.” It talks about a hidden relationship. The lyricism in all of Gray’s songs is incredible, but in “Actor” especially. My last honorable mention is “Class Clown.” The last minute of this song is so unbelievable. It’s a beautifully written song that touches on his childhood trauma. All of these songs are so phenomenal.

As Gray states in his Instagram post from when Wishbone was released, “a wishbone never breaks even. it’s up to you to decide what to do with your end of the stick.” That’s something that this album stands for. It shows off his beautiful lyricism and his beautiful voice—I highly recommend giving Wishbone a listen.