Conan Gray released his fourth album “Found Heaven” on April 5. With new producers working on this album, “Found Heaven” sounds unlike any of his older music with a new 80s feel. While this album focuses on themes of love, heartbreak and loneliness, Gray tells his listeners that the album is about the beauty of human emotions. Here are six of the thirteen songs on this album that stand out because of their deeper message.
“Fainted Love”
“When your heart aches and it’s dead in the night
Don’t you worry for me, it’s cool
It’s enough to survive, don’t you worry
I want your
Fainted love, that’s enough, fainted love”
Have you ever felt like you are trying to stay close to the person who is pushing you away? In this song, Gray describes just that. Despite his numerous breakup songs that he has written in the past, this song allows the listeners to see a new side: a side of him fighting to stay in an unbalanced relationship. With the emphasis on human emotions, Gray is realizing that he cares about someone more than they care about him. Despite knowing this, he still chooses to stay in the relationship in hopes that their feelings will change.
“Lonely Dancers”
“We’rе lonely dancers
Join me for the night
We’re lonely dancers, baby
Dance with me so we don’t cry”
This song depicts a scene where two lovers were left heartbroken on the dance floor because their partners left them. Bonding in each of their sorrow, each pair finds each other and kindles a friendship to heal the pain that was caused by their previous partners. Despite their loneliness, each partner found a temporary escape from their situations through each other. This song demonstrates how solace can be found through human connections, even when we initially feel alone and rejected.
“Alley Rose”
“Don’t leave me hangin’ alone again
Don’t leave me hangin’ alone again
Oh, where’d you go, go, allеy rose?
Oh, where’d you go, go, go?”
On the plane ride over to the U.K., Gray got dumped by the person who he was talking to, the same one he was going to see on his flight. Filled with frustration and sorrow, Gray wrote this song to express his feelings of betrayal. In this song, someone knows a breakup is coming around the corner, but they are still begging them to stay. Paralleling with Gray’s own personal relationship, he claims this song to be his favorite on his new album.
“Bourgeoisieses”
“I want to be with the bourgeoisieses
I want to see how the bourgeoisieses party all night
I want to be with the bourgeoisieses
I want to see how the bourgeoisieses la-da-de-di”
The word “bourgeoisie” refers to people in the middle class who value materialistic values or conventional attitudes. The protagonist in this song is someone who is from a lower wealth class, but desires the perceived glamour of the bourgeois life. While the subject in the song is battling feelings of jealousy for a life filled with luxury, there is also the longing to get away from the struggles that are present in the lower class. The lyrics explore themes of class disparity, societal norms, and the allure of material wealth.
“Forever With Me”
“But I ain’t sorry
I wouldn’t change a thing
But it’ll take a lifetime to get better
I ain’t sorry
Though I should probably be
I think I’m gonna love you, you’re forever with me”
This track reminisces about someone that came and went out of his life. As he reminisces back on the relationship, he was able to see the positives instead of the negatives. Rather than feeling regretful for all the things that went wrong, he thinks about all the ways he was grateful for the learning opportunity. Despite all the bittersweet memories that Gray had with his former partner, he embraces the fact that this person will forever be a part of his life. Without this person, he would not have learned how to express his feelings of love and hate.
“Winner”
“Is that there’s no one
Who ever has done better
At makin’ me feel worse
Now you rеally are the winner”
While most of his songs on “Found Heaven” relate to breakups with romantic partners, this one talks about the reality of having a narcissistic parent. This song was where he gave kudos to his parents for winning a competition—a competition of who can make Gray feel the worst about himself. He also recognizes the freedom of realizing this, as no one can hurt him more than he was already hurt growing up. Even though his situation was out of his control, he still somehow feels guilty for the outcome. Rather than settling with low blows, he reasons with his parents and establishes a mature tone to help console his inner child.
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On Conan Gray’s fourth official album, he allows his listeners to get a glimpse of his inner thoughts that struggle with romantic heartbreaks and childhood trauma. While only half the songs were mentioned, each song works together to give the listeners a detailed glimpse into his inner dialogue with himself. Each track offers a unique perspective on his past experiences, making “Found Heaven” a memorable and relatable album.
