Conan Gray is kicking off a new era of music with “This Song,” a whimsical new single that arrived alongside its own coming-of-age style music video. The track is the first taste of Conan’s just-announced fourth album Wishbone (due August 15), and it finds the 24-year-old singer-songwriter returning to the earnest, vulnerable songwriting that first made fans fall in love with his work. “This Song” pairs openly yearning lyrics with lush, string-laden production – listeners might even catch echoes of the Goo Goo Dolls’ classic “Iris” in its romantic, 90s-tinged atmosphere. Conan pours his heart out in the lyrics, essentially penning an open letter to a crush he’s been too shy to confront directly. “Yeah, I know that I love you… maybe I’ll put it in this song,” he sings with an emotional quaver, embracing the earnest bedroom-pop spirit of his early days. The artist himself has said that writing the album was an almost secretive, therapeutic process: “Over the past two years, I’ve been secretly writing songs… in the sheets of my hotel beds, in narrow gaps between tours,” Conan shared on Instagram, explaining that these intimate songs reminded him “who I am” during a tumultuous time in his twenties.
True to Conan Gray’s nostalgic sensibilities, the “This Song” music video is a heart-melter that could be straight out of a teen romance film. In fact, Conan went back to his roots for the visual – it was shot on actual film in a quaint small town in his home state of Texas, giving everything a warm, throwback glow. “‘This Song’ out everywhere now. shot on film in a small town in my home state texas,” the singer wrote on social media, emphasizing the personal touch behind the project. The video’s storyline follows Conan and actor Corey Fogelmanis (of Girl Meets World fame) wandering through sun-dappled streets and country fairgrounds, exchanging shy glances that gradually blossom into affection. Fans were delighted to see the pair share an adorable first kiss on screen – a scene so genuine it “looks like it came out of a coming-of-age movie,” as one viewer put it. Directed with a gentle, nostalgic flair, the video perfectly complements the song’s theme of youthful yearning and unspoken emotions finally brought to light. Between the earnest songwriting and the dreamy visuals, Conan Gray’s “This Song” launches his Wishbone album era with a tender bang, reminding everyone of the magic that can happen when you wear your heart on your sleeve.
