Last Wednesday, Conan Gray dropped some pretty big news: his third studio album, Found Heaven, is set to release April 5th. Fans have been speculating and anticipating this album for a while, so the buildup has definitely been intense. This intensity was made greater by Gray leaving his own treasure-hunt trail of clues leading up to the big announcement. Gray teased the style of the new album way back in May of 2023 with the release of the single, “Never Ending Song,” and its corresponding music video. Since then, Gray has released two more singles, “Winner,” and “Killing Me,” and has announced another, “Lonely Dancers,” which will be out February 9th (so keep an eye out for it)!
As we all know, Conan Gray loves to mess around with his fans and present announcements in fun and creative ways. Leading up to the big album announcement last Wednesday, Gray posted several clues on his social media platforms. He knows his fans love to speculate and hunt down easter eggs, and he left plenty. He posted several pictures incorporating the hidden numbers, “1 3 1,” which fans correctly deduced as the date Gray would announce the new album. Additionally, Gray linked cg3find.me in his Instagram bio last Monday, which led viewers to a virtual scavenger hunt for the name of the new album. This hunt involved fans going out to look for 11 posters in 11 different record stores around the world, each of which contained one of the letters in the name of the album. The site had a neat, interactive map feature as well as the ability for fans to post pictures of the posters they had found, and a discussion space for fans to work together to decode the message. Dedicated sleuths that they are, Gray’s fans very quickly revealed the name, Found Heaven, which Gray ended up confirming two days later on 1/31, as anticipated. Fans have immediately begun speculating further about the new album, including theorizing that Olivia Rodrigo, one of Gray’s best friends, will be featured on the album.
Now, for some of my own opinions on the singles Gray has released, as well as predictions about the new album as a whole. In the past, Gray’s albums have typically consisted of a variety of different songs: some more upbeat and catchy, some more story-based and some more slow and sad. So far, the singles Gray has released for the upcoming album suggest a similar pattern—but with some significant differences as well. “Never Ending Song” is a very retro, alternative pop song that feels like it walked straight out of the 80s. “Winner” is a heartbreakingly powerful pop ballad that leads me to believe Found Heaven will implement similar elements from emotionally charged songs on his sophomore album, Superache, such as “Family Line” and “Yours.”
However, this album will certainly play around with some new elements as well, as is suggested by the more alternative feel of “Killing Me,” another recently released single. “Killing Me” gives off the same 80s-inspired feel as “Never Ending Song,” with catchy yet tragic lyrics in typical self-deprecatingly-upbeat Conan Gray fashion. The retro, 80s-inspired quality of this album so far excites me, and I expect many of the other songs to have a similar vibe. It also excites me to see that Gray seems to be playing around with different vocal styles and testing his range by singing in lower octaves than he has done previously. His creative and vocal repertoires are incredible; a fact which Found Heaven is sure to reflect.
Overall, this album has been highly anticipated ever since Gray first teased it with the release of “Never Ending Song,” and even well before this, after the Superache tour in 2022. Conan Gray’s extremely dedicated and passionate fanbase is part of what makes him and his music so iconic. Fans can pre-order his new album at https://conangray.lnk.to/FoundHeaven. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the new single coming February 9th and be on the lookout for any more singles or clues Gray might spontaneously drop before the album’s official release on April 5th. Personally, I am all for the new, edgier vibe that Gray has alluded to with this new album, and I am very excited to see what else Found Heaven has in store for us.