Superache: A Review of Conan Gray’s Newest Album

Conan Gray has broken our hearts once more through the release of his sophomore album, Superache. Conan has risen to become the face of the current generation’s pop music, at quite the quick pace too. I remember watching his Youtube videos when I was barely entering highschool, listening to covers of Lana Del Rey songs on Soundcloud by him. Now he’s seen attending the Met Gala, topping the charts, performing at Coachella, and absolutely blooming as an artist. 

Way before Superache was the debut EP Sunset Season, released in 2018. In a five-track course, Conan illustrated his ties to a small town and the nuances of teenage angst. This nostalgic collection revealed Gray’s budding range, presenting trademark themes of youth and romance that would seep into his following works. His first album, Kid Krow, was released two years later in 2020. With songs such as “Maniac” and “Heather” both accumulating over 1 billion streams on Spotify, Conan became a heartbreak idol. Superache, released on June 24, 2022, is a buildup of his journey so far as an artist, infused with cappuccinos and roses by the dozen. It is both bitter and reckoning at the same time, portraying the difficulties that come with modern love. It is also a reflection of the different relationships we articulate through growing pains. Most of all, it is Conan’s way of saying that we can all cry on his shoulder and scream his lyrics. 

On Superache, each song has an individual persona, conveying intricate storylines throughout. The first track, “Movies,” introduces us into Conan’s headspace. He’s a contemporary romantic. The album cover also makes this blatant, with Conan laid out in a suit on a heart-shaped bed of red roses. This song comments on the tendency to romanticize and compare our relationships to that of in the movies. He describes lyrically something many people desire – “I want a love like the movies.” With bitter truth he also acknowledges that the relationship he sings about was not like the movies at all. Echoing vocals and acoustics combined sounded out the pains of a hopeless romantic. 

The second track, “People Watching” was released as a single over a year ago, on July 15, 2021. This song is a defining track in my opinion as it truly complemented Conan’s skills, highlighting his ability to musically interpret how it feels to yearn for love. Conan lays out a lyrical landscape, providing a visual to how it feels to go day by day, watching people in relationships. This song is also the most streamed on the album thus far. I feel that “People Watching” is heavily resonating with my current generation, where love and relationships can be trademarked and used as an illusion on social media. In a song with musical rushes and climaxes, Conan communicates a resounding feeling with bittersweet notes. He also allows space for hope in the song, stating “Someday I'll be falling without caution / But for now, I'm only people watchin.’” It is a solemn statement riddled with both patience and overwhelming desire. 

“Disaster,” the third track on Superache, continues at a faster pace than “People Watching.” Conan invites us to listen to his story like we're having a conversation on the phone gossiping. It reminds me of the witty style he utilized with “Wish You Were Sober,” constantly keeping us on our toes. The song utilizes catchy pop synths that are crucial to his craft, sonically illustrating the rush we experience with wavering relationships. Lyrically, he posed important questions, supporting his role as one of the most resonating artists. This song grew on me more after each listen, seeing it as a cathartic interpretation of confusion. 

The fourth track, “Bestfriend'' has perfect placement. It feels like we're almost still at the same party mentioned in “Disaster.” In the prior song, he mentions Ashley, who is a close friend of his, seen in his Youtube vlogs and in his “People Watching” music video. With the title of “Best Friend” we can make certain connections. The parallels between these two songs sets forth the importance of friendship amidst our confusing lives. The track is an upbeat ode to the unique and fulfilling friendships we form in our youth. With sunny acoustics and soft beats musically, the song serves as an outlier to the heartbreak reigning in Superache. It provides a sense of balance, a cohesive look at how both our romantic and platonic relationships affect us.

“Astronomy,” the fifth track on the album, was another single released prior to the album. Seen by the world originally on May 7, 2021, it has remained one of my favorite songs released by Conan so far. Lyrically, “Astronomy” is a bitter story told to its fullest of the loss of young love. It is a painful upheaval of self reflection and how fate and an overall sense of the universe impedes on our lives despite our strongest desires. Conan lays out a tale prefaced by soft acoustics that despite how strong his love is for the person mentioned, he states “As much as it seems like you own my heart / It’s astronomy, we’re two worlds apart.” The song is a dreamy serenade detailed with the pains of letting go. With a generation faced with constant change in their lives, Conan speaks for the thousands of loves lost by the inevitable. 

The sixth track on the album is “Yours.” This song goes hand in hand with “Astronomy,” yet taking on a deeper and more melancholic approach. As a heartbreak idol, Conan dives further into self reflection through the lens of lost love. The song feels extremely vulnerable as he lays all of his emotions across the board. Also like the previous track, he entails motifs of the universe, saying “‘Cause I could give you all you want, the stars and the sun / But still, I’m not enough.” This theme compliments Conan’s dream-like writing, making the listener feel otherworldly in experience. The song ends in symphonies and a guttural feeling of purging emotion and memories. It is a build up of dramatic piano and ballad-like lyrics, ending in a solemn whisper. 

“Jigsaw,” the seventh track on Superache, was also released as a single this year, on January 21st. Another reflection on self, Conan pulls to the surface the tendency for people to want to change themselves in order to gain the love of another. He creates the metaphor of him as a type of jigsaw puzzle, both falling to pieces and rearranging who he is in hopes of receiving love in return. With harsh chords and an angered tone, we can feel the heaviness of the song. It creates a sense of exhaustion, resonating with anyone who has felt they had lost themselves in love. This song is an absolute powerhouse, taking a critical look at what we sacrifice of ourselves in our relationships. 

The eighth track, “Family Line,” uncovers elements of a different kind of relationship. We got to see more of Conan’s vulnerability and transparency here as he delved into an entirely personal topic. I feel that songs like these are what drives a deeper relationship between the artist and the listener. In a tweet, Conan acknowledged that this was the song that took the longest to write on Superache, stating he “would write one line then get scared and stop. Went on for two years.” Upon first listen, it felt like living through his eyes, learning how to grow from trauma and the situations we are born into. Like a majority of the songs on this album, it features an emotional acoustic serenade that leads into a harrowing ending, where Conan pours out his final remarks. Lyrically, Conan dissects how his family life has affected and molded him, which many listeners can find solidarity in, making the track an essential to this album and his discography in general. 

“Summer Child,” the ninth track on the album, strongly resembles Conan’s earlier days where he would post his initial music on Soundcloud or Youtube. The song is a sweet melody with moody lyrics, creating an ethereal atmosphere musically. It makes the listener feel like Conan is singing to them softly in an empty field, with the sun beating down. He addresses the “summer child,” a persona that may be a representation of himself. This persona is riled with young fears and isolation. The song feels like a love letter to his younger self, where he tells that version of him that he is understood. 

The tenth track on Superache, “Footnote,” aligns with the title of the album. He reflects on love continuously, like a sister song to “Yours'' and “Jigsaw.” These three songs feel related in some way, all relative to the overall “superache” of our budding emotions in our youth. Rejection, loss, and melancholy are all relevant to how deep our first cuts hurt. “Footnote” showcases Conan’s ability to capture unique experiences. In the song, he tells the story of wanting more than a friendship, but settling to be a “footnote” in someone’s life. Instead of like the movies, he claims that “love isn’t precious / It’s not like the novels”here. His voice echoes over this desolate track, complemented by panging acoustics. 

“Memories,” the eleventh track on the album, is a powerful piano ballad. It deals with the hardships of moving on from a relationship when the pain of memories resides. In this song, you can hear Conan’s voice so clearly as the lyrics push forth like breaking waves. When the chorus comes along, it feels like the words come tumbling down as he sings “I wish that you would stay in my memories / But you show up today just to ruin things.” The entire song is a deliberation that represents the constant back and forth that mentally takes place at the end of a relationship. It is sonically heavy with exasperation, worn by a bruised heart. We can understand from Conan’s visual here how moving on is a fluctuating process, guarded by different obstacles. 

The album ends with the twelfth song, “The Exit.” In contrast to “Memories,” this song follows in an almost opposite situation. This song reigned in as one of my favorites from the album, fostering a relatable message about how closure is not always easy. The song draws inspiration from his song “lookalike,” mentioning a “carbon copy” of himself. Conan finds himself stuck in place, watching his past lover move on faster than he did. His voice wavers through the heartbreak or the “superache” of this situation. He faces the unfathomable, transforming pain into longing melodies. I feel that he wrapped the album up in an interesting way with this song. Usually an album ends with some sense of closure, but we can still see Conan’s open wounds here. This is an aspect of his vulnerability that draws such a strong connection between him and his fans. It is also a snapshot of life for what it truly is at a point in time, compiling an album together dedicated to the hardest emotions we come face to face with. 

Truly, Superache is a hard album to listen to emotionally; but, at the same time it is entirely catchy. Each track is so unique and there have been specific ones that have earned their way onto my playlists such as “Best Friend,” “Disaster,” and “Jigsaw.” These songs are what I would put on while driving with the windows down, craving that bright pop feel. Other songs such as “Astronomy,” “Yours,” and “Movies” are definitely saved for whenever the heartbreak hits. Conan went above and beyond for his sophomore album, producing a unique listen from start to finish. I am excited to see where he goes from here as an artist, continuing on as the king of heartbreak.