On April 23, pop artist Conan Gray released the deluxe version of his album Wishbone, including five new songs. Although he has released three albums prior to Wishbone–Kid Krow, Superache and Found Heaven–Wishbone is his first to include a deluxe. Despite this, it was obvious Conan planned to release one, as he has appeared to fall in love with this album more than any of the rest. 

The album begins with “Actor”, a song that conforms perfectly to the rest of his discography, as it begins with his usual guitar and has extremely similar lyrics to his other releases. For example, Gray references months and timelines very frequently, such as in “The Exit,” the last track on Superache, a consistency held throughout “Actor.” The song also has an extremely powerful bridge, with intensity building in both the instrumental as well as the lyrics, as he is now speaking directly to the person the song is about. Finally, the song ends with another one of his classics–an unfinished phrase. Throughout the entire song, the lyrics “you are a much better actor than me,” are repeated. The very last lyric is “you are a much better actor,” cutting off, similar to “The Cut That Always Bleeds”–track six on Kid Krow–in which the last lyric is “the cut that always,” leaving out the word “bleeds.” Overall, “Actor” ranks 13th on my list out of 17 songs on Wishbone.

The second track of Wishbone is “This Song,” which also blends extremely well with the rest of Gray’s music. Similar to “Actor,” he makes references within “This Song” that align well with other songs from other albums. In the second verse Gray sings, “the smell of your perfume is all over me,” to which I could not help but be reminded of the lyrics “and that one good cologne that you bought when we were fighting,” lyrics from “Memories”–the eleventh track on Superache. Not only does Gray have similar lyrics to other albums, but he also references other songs within the same album. In the first verse, the lyrics “Eleven-elvens, they all hear your name” seems like a standalone until you reach track eleven, which just so happens to be “Eleven Eleven.” “This Song” is wonderful, but not a standout, ranking 16th on my list out of 17 songs.

The most advertised track (in my opinion) from Wishbone, at least before the deluxe released, was the third track–”Vodka Cranberry.” Not only was a small dance to the chorus of the song created, but Gray even posted videos of him doing the dance with popstar Olivia Rodrigo on his social media. As made obvious by the fact there is a dance, the chorus of “Vodka Cranberry” is extremely catchy, and encapsulates the passionate feelings Gray is attempting to convey throughout Wishbone. The track–resembling “Actor”–also has a timeline, that being “February 4th through the 16th of May,” as sung by Gray in the first verse. Not only are the lyrics beautifully written, the general sound of the song is incredible. The high note Gray hits singing the bridge was perfectly executed both in the studio recording and performed live. The song ends with him leaving the relationship, or at least stating that he will, which is important for context throughout the rest of the album. Though it likely ranked higher when the album first released as it was extremely advertised, after the release of Wishbone deluxe, “Vodka Cranberry” is–on my list–11th out of 17 songs.

The next track–”Romeo”–represents Gray’s stage of truly ending the relationship. The chorus entails lyrics such as, “I hope you know I am never [going to] want you back,” showcasing Gray’s outward distaste for the relationship. It is an extremely emotional, powerful and passionate song, with Gray occasionally yelling and cursing throughout the song. The sequence of events leading up to “Romeo,” as Gray’s music turns from sad to hateful regarding the breakup, is displayed especially in the lyrics “you put me in a grave of stone but now it only makes me laugh.” “Romeo” is essentially Gray’s revenge phase, between sadness and moving on. The song ranks 12th on my list.

The fifth track represents the next stage–moving on. Titled “My World,” Gray focuses on himself, or in other words, his world. While the majority of the lyrics, such as “it is my world and it is my life,” suggest moving on or self improvement, some of them feel as though Gray is trying to convince himself. For example, at the end of every chorus Gray sings “I do not have you in mind, I do not have you in mind,” which could mean one of two things. First, it could be as simple as that–he has moved on. But second, it could also be Gray repeating the phrase to himself, attempting to assure himself that that is the case. However, the end of the bridge contains the lyrics “does not matter to me, it will not affect my life, ‘cause I do not care anymore,” suggesting that I could have read too far into it. Regardless, “My World” is a lovely song to contrast the painful heartache described throughout the majority of Gray’s music. Despite the high quality of the song, it is unfortunately surpassed by 14 other songs, ranking 15th on my list.

While Gray may sprinkle a joyous song such as “My World” in his music every once in a while, the majority of his discography is gloomy. Track six–”Class Clown”–continues where the music left off, with Gray moving on from his previous romantic relationship. Despite no longer being in the (more than) problematic relationship previously described, Gray goes through more personal issues in “Class Clown.” The song entails Gray’s relationship with humor, as he uses it not only as a coping mechanism but as a method to grab others’ attention. While he gets to experience the love and attention of those around him, he feels trapped in that role of being the humorous friend/peer. This is seen especially in lyrics such as “half of my friends barely know who I am, and there is none at fault but this own singing man,” sung in the first verse. “Class Clown” is a beautiful piece that gives Gray’s listeners a bigger look into his feelings regarding himself as opposed to purely relationship/breakup music. “Class Clown” holds the well-deserved rank of fourth on my list.

“Nauseous” strays from the timeline the album was previously following, and returns to Gray’s classic sound. The combination of guitar in the background as well as the unfinished phrase at the end makes the seventh track perfectly fit the Conan Gray template. Though “Nauseous” is not particularly special in regards to its connection to other songs/albums, it is one of the most pleasing to listen to. The instrumental, especially between verses, is stunning. The lyrics are simple, making it easily relatable to his audience, especially during the bridge. “Nauseous” could have been released on any other album and done perfectly fine, overall ranking fifth on Wishbone.

“Caramel” is one of the catchiest songs on Wishbone, despite not having much of a meaning. The chorus of the eighth track is simply “you burn inside my memory so well, you caramel, you are caramel.” While the rhyme and melody might catch your attention, the lyrical thought that went into this song seems to be much lower than the rest of the album. “Caramel” takes the simple, relatable structure of “Nauseous” and overdoes it. While relatability is important, it should not be sacrificed for meaning. There are a few lyrics that I can appreciate throughout the song, such as “the longer burn, the sweeter that you smell,” which perfectly encapsulates the metaphor that this song relies on to be decent–the creation of the candy caramel. Despite the improvements needed to be top-tier, it ranks sixth out of seventeen.

The ninth track, “Connell,” opens up with a soft and stunning guitar. “Connell” contains many phrases that are literal, such as the lyrics “I am from Texas skies, you are from London streets,” which, for his audience, can be interrupted as simply being from different backgrounds. Gray takes his own relationship experience and uses it as the basis for his music, weaving personal details into the lyrics that keep the song relatable to his vast audience. The start of “Connell” contains another similar set of lyrics that serve the same purpose–the words “I saw you in a photograph with some brunette girl in a head-back laugh, and I almost hurled when I saw your hand down the small of her back,” are extremely detailed to match Gray’s situation, but can be perceived differently depending on the specifics of his listener’s lives. Though the album’s timeline was broken with “Nauseous,” the compilation generally follows his journey after the relationship, and “Connell” encapsulates those feelings perfectly. Though Gray had moved on in “My World,” those feelings resurface when he is faced with the challenge of watching his past lover with another person. One of the best songs on Wishbone, “Connell” ranks third.

The transition between tracks nine and ten–“Connell” and “Sunset Tower,” respectively–is the same as when sadness turns to anger. Both songs represent the same experience, and Gray even partially explains why those feelings are now angry. The lyrics, “part of me just wanted some proof it is hurting you in the way it is hurting me,” show why Gray’s feelings have changed. Also similar to “Connell,” “Sunset Tower” is both familiar to Gray’s audience and detailed regarding Gray’s life. Overused repetition is typically done poorly, however, “Sunset Tower” still remains a well-written, beautifully-composed piece. It is catchy and remains so despite the lack of variety in the chorus; the extremely relatable, meaningful verses make up for it. “Sunset Tower” is both the tenth track on Wishbone and the tenth track on my list.

“Eleven Eleven” is the eleventh track on Wishbone, an extremely underappreciated detail. Previously mentioned in “This Song,” “Eleven-Eleven” is the backbone of Wishbone. It represents the wish for someone who used to be in your, or Gray’s, life. With an extremely unique, catchy chorus, and wonderfully articulated verses, “Eleven-Eleven” is one of, if not the best track on Wishbone. The bridge holds significance, speaking directly to the person Gray is singing about, as he typically does during his bridges. He repeats the chorus at the end of the song but with increased intensity, building the feelings woven into the music. Overall, “Eleven Eleven” may not be the best composed or written song throughout the collection, but Wishbone would not be complete without it, ranking first on my list.

“Care” fights Gray’s stage of denial. Throughout the song, Gray is experiencing the same feelings as in “Connell” and “Sunset Tower,” as his peace is still too far to obtain. If “Sunset Tower” and “Connell” were twins, “Care” is their younger sibling. Gray is no longer focused on jealousy, but rather trying to move on. “Care” follows this journey, watching Gray miss certain parts of the relationship he lost while simultaneously wanting to progress past the relationship. The lyrics “pretend to hate you instead,” could be a nod to “Sunset Tower,” in which he insults his previous partner and is angry throughout the majority of the song. The relationship between “Sunset Tower” and “Connell” is almost summarized by the lyrics, “it is good to know that you are not attached, but why does it trigger me so bad to see you with somebody who is not me?” “Care” is not a necessity to the album unlike “Eleven Eleven.” Despite not holding much meaning as a standalone, it is just as catchy as the rest of Gray’s music. As “Care” was the last track on Wishbone before the deluxe version released, the incorporation of references to other songs, Gray’s typical guitar, tension-building throughout the song and an angry bridge are all fitting as a (first) last track to the album. “Care” ranks eighth on my list.

As “Care” marks the last of the original Wishbone album, track 13 begins the deluxe with “Do I Dare.” Though it is Gray’s first deluxe, listeners are quickly reminded of Gray’s style, as the second line reads “December to May was spick and spotless,” referencing specific months once again. “Do I Dare” contains a few allusions to other songs, such as the lyrics “holding back the words that we never say,” a nod to “Moths”–the 16th track. Gray also speaks of how long it took him to heal originally from the relationship’s end, a journey that the listeners followed throughout the previous 12 songs. “Do I Dare” contains less details regarding Gray’s personal life, but still has the potential to hold a parallel amount of meaning as the rest of the album. This song is not exactly a stand-out, ranking last on my list, but it certainly deserves its spot amongst the rest.

I was originally apprehensive to listen to “House That Always Rains,” as the title is extremely similar to the previously mentioned song “The Cut That Always Bleeds.” As it is one of Gray’s biggest hits (ranked fourth in streams as of May 11,) there was a possibility of Gray milking the song. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the contents of Wishbone’s 14th track. The dynamic introduced in “Connell” regarding the differentiating backgrounds of Gray and his mystery-partner is further explored in “House That Always Rains.” The first verse with lyrics such as “grew up…in clouds of Texas rain…you are born city slick, with both sharp shoulders chipped,” give more insight to their upbringings. Gray also speaks about his parents/familial upbringing, with lyrics such as “they are shouting in the house that always shakes” suggesting issues regarding his familial dynamic. This is not a new development, however, as he has released music with a similar theme before, such as “Family Line,” the seventh track on Superache. The song is generally catchy, and certainly not a bad piece. It suits Gray and fits into both his discography as well as Wishbone. However, it is certainly not on the same level as “Eleven Eleven,” “Connell” or “Vodka Cranberry.” The fourteenth track of Wishbone ranks fourteenth overall.

“Door” is the fifteenth song on Wishbone, and can be perceived as a sister song to “Care.” The song describes Gray’s desire to move on, however, he finds himself consistently wishing for his partner again. Gray upholds a consistency regarding detailing, once again referencing London as he did in “Sunset Tower.” This is seen in the lyrics “You are calling a cab from the sheets of my bed. When I opened my eyes, you were halfway to London,” an already emotionally pulling bridge. Once again he speaks directly to the person, not just in the bridge but at the end of the second verse as well. His angry, emotional tone is able to truly reach his audience throughout all of his music, but especially in “Door.” Overall, it is a lovely addition to the album, ranking seventh on my list.

“Moths,” if it related better to the album, would have been my undeniable favorite. The song once again opens with a guitar, and follows many other patterns one would typically hear within Gray’s music. This can be seen in the ending phrase, “I will leave the light on,” the unfinished version of the lyrics “I will leave the light on and let the moths in,” that is sung repeatedly throughout the song. Though Gray has utilized this method in previous songs, it is especially impactful in “Moths,” as it can be visualized. The lyrics previous to the unfinished phrase are “the door is closed, but the window is open,” a metaphor for Gray’s remaining feelings. The lyrics that were cut in the final phrase could be seen as symbolic of many things. The moths could be seen as a negative, seeing as most people find them bothersome. This suggests that Gray is leaving the window, or the opportunity for his partner to return, open, despite the moths–wearing down of his emotional state–that come with it. The moths could also represent the loneliness that came with the loss of Gray’s partner. Therefore, not letting the moths in at the end of the song works as a beautiful transition into the final song “The Best.” A tool used in “Moths” that is less common in Gray’s music is the overlapping of lyrics. During the last repeat of the chorus, Gray sings “might be missing you forever but you are every song I sing, every letter, every word that we do not speak,” lyrics that compliment the chorus extremely well. “Moths” is a beautiful song that has both good ideas and execution. It ranks second to “Eleven Eleven,” seeing as it does not support the album as well.

“The Best” is the last song on Wishbone’s deluxe album, but was the first of the deluxe songs to debut. The placement of “The Best” is perfect, as it toys with the idea of Gray saying goodbye to his partner permanently. However, its theme remains true to the album, as Gray cannot truly say goodbye. The final phrase is “finally wish you the,” showing Gray’s reluctance to truly let go. It is a catchy, well written song, but does not stand out much. It is emotional but has no lyrics that are done particularly well. Overall, it ranks ninth on Wishbone, closing out the album, and wishing it the best.