Conan Gray’s newest album, “Found Heaven,” featuring an ‘80s synth-pop sound, showcases him straying from his typical lyrical content that centralizes on family trauma and hypothetical heartbreaks. Gray takes listeners through a roller coaster of emotions, letting us sing, dance and cry along with him. After listening to “Found Heaven,” it’s safe to say Gray knew exactly what his goal was in branching out into the new genre. 

Starting his career as a YouTuber in 2013, Gray has managed to climb up the musical ladder having released three albums within the last few years. Gray was first recognized for his song “Heather” in his second album “Kid Crow”. Two years later, his third album, “Superache,” blew up on social media, particularly with the song “Memories.” In both of his past albums, Gray was praised for his high vocal range, piano ballads, and heart-piercing lyrics. These factors, ones that contributed to his rise to fame, were recognized once again following the release of “Winner” a preview single for this album on Aug. 25, 2023.

This album includes a tracklist of 13 songs, spanning over 36 minutes. The songs can be broken into two categories: upbeat music one would associate with 80s roller skating rinks and the iconic piano ballads that Gray is known for. Songs such as “Never Ending Song,” “Bourgeoisieses,” “Lonely Dancers” and “Fainted Love” are big and bold with their techno rhythms, whereas his songs “Winner,” “Forever With Me” and “Alley Rose” are more like his past albums, with gut-wrenching lyrics and instrumentation. These songs also contain a twist of retro synth elements.

I truly enjoyed Gray’s new album. The synth-pop and ‘80s style were a great change from his normal musical sound, while still staying true to what he does best. Gray had me screaming the outstanding lyrics and humming along to the catchy beats, in all of the album’s songs, anytime and anywhere. My personal favorites from the album are “Found Heaven,” “Alley Rose,” “Bourgeoisies” and “Killing Me”, due to their catchy beats that complimented the outstanding lyrics..  

All in all, “Found Heaven” has incredible lyrics and accompanying melodies that get stuck in your head. If you’re looking for an album that captures love, pain and dancing, then I definitely recommend Gray’s album. 

By Angelina Alessi