The best birthday present I received this year was the blessing of hearing Conan Gray’s latest album “Found Heaven.”
As a long time Conan fan — since he first started making youtube videos back in my late middle school years — I was worried about what this new Conan sound would be like.
I shouldn’t have been worried, though, as “Found Heaven” has become a staple in my music collection.
From heartbreaking ballads to upbeat songs of wanting to be rich, Conan continues to release consistent hits that leave me crying but still hitting repeat.
Found Heaven
The title track of this album is the PERFECT opener for this album. The start of a gospel type of song fading into the more ‘80s electro-pop was a great way for past Conan fans to be introduced to this new style.
Besides the music, the lyrics to this song are beautiful. This song explains how love can be so scary yet so comforting. This song feels like Conan is taking your hand and reassuring you that, although falling in love can be one of the scariest things we do, it’s also the most heavenly feeling we get to experience. He also explains how once you accept the feeling, you don’t want to lose it and will keep fighting to gain it back once it leaves you. It’s the perfect explanation for the complex emotions we experience.
9/10
Never Ending Song
Fans of Conan heard this song almost a year before the full album dropped. It was the first taste of his new era that fans got to experience and it’s received mixed reviews since.
Although I’m not the biggest fan, I do still love this song. It’s great to bop your head to. I catch myself singing the chorus all of the time because I do find it so catchy.
As for the story, this song tells the story of falling in love with someone who you see everywhere in the media and not being able to get them out of your head. Conan leaves the interpretation of whether this is a failed relationship or a “situationship” up for listeners to decide. I think it shows this wanting for the feelings you share with this person and interactions you two have to last forever because once it’s over, you know you’ll just be sad it couldn’t be longer.
7/10
Fainted Love
I love this song.
This song is so beautiful to me. It tells the story of being in a romantic and sexual relationship with someone who doesn’t want a commitment. It explains the hard feeling of accepting that as much as you want, you’ll never be a person they love and want to commit to. This song expresses that hurt but acceptance in receiving a fainted love.
10/10
Lonely Dancers
I like this song. I think production is okay. It does fit the electronic ‘80s pop vibe very well but it’s nothing that stood out from others on the album.
I do, however, really like the story. It focuses on the aftermath of a break up. In the song, Conan is asking someone to dance with him, an implication of having a one night stand, just to hide the hurt both of them are feeling over the break up. He says if they’re together for a night, they won’t have to cry and can find a sliver of that love again within each other.
7/10
Alley Rose
This is one of my favorite songs ever. The production of this song is by far the best on the album. The loud and softer tones throughout the song show how Conan’s emotions are going wild. He’s scared, shown through the loud, and it ends with a softer tone that shows how sad he is about the story.
This song is a perfect following to Lonely Dancers. It is the end of a short lived relationship that gave you the first experience of undaunted love. It’s Conan begging this love to stay because unlike his previous experiences, this short relationship taught him that love is not fighting and it doesn’t have to hurt.
The bridge to this song is truly what sets it apart. This is where Conan truly explains his need for this relationship to continue. My favorite line is “But I swore hands were made for fighting/ 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.” This description of how this person has impacted him means so much to me. And for it to be followed by a soft, quiet, and broken question of what happened to their love is something powerful.
10/10 (would score higher if could)
The Final Fight
This song is about getting the closure needed after a toxic relationship. Conan expresses a need for one last fight with the person who hurt him so badly. And after getting away, he’s finally back to get that closure. It’s a nice song that falls well in line with other themes from the album.
The production on this song is nice. It’s a little slower than others, which I think is good because it lets listeners really hear Conan’s voice.
8/10
Miss You
I don’t really like the production of this song. In the beginning, it just seems a little too out of the range Conan has previously reached. It’s different, for sure, and feels more techno.
I do like the story on this one. Unlike others, this one places Conan as the problem. It shows how after going through several bad loves, he has put someone else through that. This song tells the story of him being with someone but not committing and not realizing he missed that person and wanted them until it ended. It’s a great way of showing how after being hurt so man times, you can flip into hurting other people without realizing.
5/10
Bourgeoisieses
Although I can’t exactly read the title, I love this song. It’s so fun and makes me want to get up and dance. It feels like a great song to dance to.
This story is about wanting to just be part of the top 1% and have the luxury of not having the everyday struggles the working class deals with. As someone who grew up in a low income family, this song is amazing for me. I too want to see how they live, Conan.
10/10
Forever With Me
This song is so beautiful. This is THE ballad of the album, which are my favorite songs. Although it still has some of the electronic pop characteristics, it’s also emotional and slow. I think it’s a good mix.
This song perfectly encapsulates the feelings that linger with your first love. Although the relationship was bad and you wouldn’t necessarily go back, you know you will still always have a special love for that person because they’re the ones who taught you how to love. They gave you that first feeling, which is something you will keep forever.
9/10
Eyes Of The Night
When you think of ‘80s pop, this song is the exact sound and feel of that. It’s an amazing driving song that makes you feel like you’re in the back of your parents car and they’re showing you some of their favorites from when they were young.
The story of the song is okay. It’s about seeing and feeling an ex after your break up. I think production does really make this song better and elevates it higher. Although the story isn’t bad, it’s not the strongest point.
7/10
Boys & Girls
The feel of this song is so fun! We get to hear both high and low notes from Conan, which show off his range amazingly. It’s a great dancing song. If you’re pulling an all-nighter, I feel like it’s a great song to get your blood pumping and get your body moving.
I also enjoy the story of this song. It’s about falling for someone that everyone wants. It’s a simple story, yes, but it gets the job done in a very relatable way.
8/10
Killing Me
I love the production on this song so much. It starts out slow just to go super upbeat and is so perfect for showing the emotions that are paired with the lyrics.
So many of us have been involved in a relationship where we would drop everything for someone who has only hurt us and/or wouldn’t do the same. The draining feelings from having that kind of relationship are expressed so well here. Those kinds of relationships kill you but it’s like an addiction you can’t stop no matter how hard you try. It’s an amazing song.
10/10
Winner
I have never heard a more flawless album closure than this song. It’s the perfect wrap that provides the perfect explanation for the story of hurtful love that this album shows.
Unlike the other songs in this album, it isn’t about a failed romantic and sexual love. It’s about a toxic family life. This song expresses the complex and hurt feelings of a child with a neglectful parent. Conan shows these emotions beautifully. With strong production with loud but powerful notes, the song shows the hurt, the want, and the guilt a child feels towards their parents. It’s real and raw and emotional.
This song also provides a great explanation for the reason Conan is getting himself involved in these toxic relationships. It shows the unfortunate Fruedian construct of searching for that relationship you have with your parents, specifically the toxic relationship, in your romantic ones.
10/10
Although it was different from his albums in the past, I do love Conan’s Found Heaven. I think the new sound is one that could work very well for him if he expands on it. Now, though, I would like to see what he could do outside of pop.
Overall, this album is a hit for me.
4.5/5 stars
