In 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the last thing that music needs right now is a 20-something pop star seeking reinvention by plunging themselves into a world of tired 80s synths and vocoders.
Somehow, on his third studio album Found Heaven, Conan Gray finds originality and a hugely endearing authenticity on one of this year’s most ambitious pop records.
The hugely popular Californian has made a name for himself thanks to a strong two albums full of melodramatic love songs and guitar-led ballads of bedroom teen angst. That’s all still ever-present on Found Heaven, but it’s delivered with a swashbuckling production fit to score a Hollywood movie.
Gray is very aware of his reinvention and has spoken of Found Heaven as a hyper-conscious attempt to throw a curveball at his millions of followers. All of the record’s 13 tracks commit to a new sound, there’s no easy-win ‘Maniac’ or ‘Heather’ 2.0 to be seen across its 36 minutes.
The pop star slides into first gear on album opener ‘Found Heaven’ as he urges himself to open up to love over Queen and David Bowie-esque harmonies. Seconds later, it’s clear he’s taken that message on board as he puts pedal to the gas on single ‘Never Ending Song’.
That track boasts one of pop’s best choruses of 2023 and it’s more moments like that which are where Found Heaven is at its most powerful. Gray’s vocals soar over the bubblegum production of ‘Lonely Dancers’ and there’s a relentlessness to ‘Killing Me’ that makes its heartbreak feel so good.
Conan Gray – Lonely Dancers (Official Music Video)
Elsewhere, ‘Bourgeoisieses’ is an obvious highlight on the record that wasn’t heard before release. The star harkens back to the class critique of ‘Affluenza’ on the tongue-in-cheek flick which is destined for viral success. “Mom and Dad got my back, but I don’t need that, I need a Maserati,” the songwriter winks.
Working with pop masterminds Max Martin and Greg Kurstin, it would have been easy for Gray to fill the album with those boombox bangers but the star has always had a penchant for a ballad.
On ‘Forever With Me’ and ‘The Final Fight’ he stays true to his newfound 80s sound but allows himself a more sparse production to revel in the break-up that has shaped Found Heaven. ‘Alley Rose’ sees Gray stroll around London having been dumped via a text received on an airport runway and ‘Winner’ closes the record with an epilogue that crescendoes into a final flurry of guitar-heaven goodness.
By the time Found Heaven‘s 36 minutes have drawn to a close, it’s clear that Conan Gray has marked himself as one of pop’s most interesting songwriters. It’s a compelling listen and a daring triumph.