Since its release on August 15, Conan Gray’s album ‘Wishbone’ has received much praise for the way it portrays human experiences. The album is a raw and emotional expression of the struggles that come with maturity, particularly those struggles that are felt by queer youth. The emotional rollercoaster that Gray takes his fans along throughout the proceeding of the album tracks is personal, and oh so impactful to those who connect with the album narrative.
It was clear from the release of ‘This Song,’ the first single, that the album would be all about romance – queer, coming of age romance. However, Gray shocked fans by incorporating a musical storyline that flowed from the music video of this single, to the second single, and to one of the other album tracks. These three music videos follow the characters of Wilson and Brando, played by Conan Gray and Corey Fogelmanis, as they embark on a romantic relationship. A shocking plot twist soon made it clear that although this album is about romance, it is primarily about heartbreak.
EVERYONE STREAM WISHBONE ITS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL TELLING OF QUEER HEARTBREAK PLSPSLPSL https://twitter.com/kyoruyeye/status/1956417045798502630
The way Gray artistically positioned and represented these two characters as the focal point of both the auditory and visual components of the album was extremely well done and offers nothing to critique. The incremental development of the storyline across three music videos was an impressive engagement tactic. I believe it would be fair to say that we haven’t seen a storyline like this in pop music since the release of Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ in 2020, in which the love triangle of Betty, James and Augustine captured the attention of millions.
It is evident that the development of this storyline has been a driving factor in the success of the album, but Gray’s abilities as a singer, songwriter, and person in general should not be discredited. If I do say so myself, the way in which Gray performs live is completely breathtaking as he has a stage presence like no other. Conan Gray originally gained fame through YouTube, and his fanbase has rapidly increased over the years. Gray has always presented himself in a very ambiguous nature, so it is no surprise that he gained much support from those within the queer community. His personal sexual orientation has always been a topic that has not been discussed explicitly, so the release of this album would have required much bravery and individual growth.
The ‘Queer Coming of Age Experience’ can be broken down into four categories: The Loneliness, The Longing, The Romance, and The Heartbreak.
The Loneliness: ‘Class Clown’ is an ode to Gray’s childhood, making reference to how he felt compelled to make other people laugh in order to hide his struggles of loneliness. Gray’s songwriting has previously touched upon the explosive family dynamic he was raised within, which in turn had a large impact on his identity as an artist. Given that he was only a teenager when he began to rise to fame, this loneliness was a crucial factor in his public coming of age experience. There is a lack of songs on ‘Wishbone’ that fall under this category, which is a slight disappointment given the previous success of similar songs he has released.
The Longing/The Romance: ‘This Song’ is ironically the only romantic song on this romance album. The categories of Longing and Romance are combined within this aspect. Gray perfectly captures the anticipation and uncertainty of young love, while also representing the hesitance so often experienced by queer youth. Concerns about outness and its implications for the couple’s interactions in public spaces can be a leading cause of barriers set up by internalised homophobia. However, as this album was originally marketed as a romance album, this could have been a downfall in meeting fan expectations.
The Heartbreak: When analysing the album within the context of this category, it becomes abundantly clear just how much of a breakup album this is. ‘Actor,’ ‘Vodka Cranberry,’ ‘Romeo,’ ‘My World,’ ‘Nauseous,’ ‘Caramel,’ ‘Connell,’ ‘Sunset Tower,’ ‘Eleven Eleven,’ and ‘Care’ all fall under this category. Gray’s nuanced representations of the emotions ones goes through when experiencing heartbreak is something that has made this album so relatable to young adults of all sexual orientations. I believe there is a subsection within Gray’s representation of queer heartbreak – shame. While not all queer youth are subject to internalised homophobia, the identification of this aspect within the album would allow for many queer fans of Gray to feel heard. It is almost impossible to critique this album because queer representation in media is incredibly important, and I believe Gray has crafted a beautiful representation.
‘Wishbone’ is arguably an undeniable contender for the best pop album release of 2025. Conan Gray has constructed an album storyline that is both simple and complex at the same time, offering a coming of age representation that is unique from the heterosexual media pieces that are more readily available online. While Gray deserves applause for creating content where queer youth feel heard, it is important to also recognise his courage in creating and releasing something so personal out into the public eye.
Long live Wilson and Brando.
Caitlin 
Clara 
Kath Smart