Wishbone is Conan Gray’s fourth studio album, and was released on August 15, 2025. While releasing and touring his previous album, Found Heaven, Conan quietly worked on Wishbone. Wishbone portrays all the emotions that Conan felt during and after his most recent failed relationship, from joy, love, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, to acceptance.
The album starts with the song “Actor,” which, according to Conan, tells you upfront what the contents of the album will include. It sets the stage for the entire album, like a thematic overture.
Following “Actor” is “This Song.” “This Song” celebrates Conan’s joys during his relationship, the things he loved about his ex, like the way his “eyes are like Heaven” and his ”voice is like rain.” However, in the music video, cracks in the relationship can already be seen, such as when Brando (Wilson and Brando being the characters representing Conan Gray and his ex, respectively) is shown flirting with another girl while Wilson stands frustrated around the corner, out of sight.
After “This Song” is “Vodka Cranberry,” my personal favorite of the album. “Vodka Cranberry” is about these cracks in the relationship. Conan threatens to end it himself (not that he wants to) because he notices ‘Brando’ pulling away, like when Brando “casually steal[s] back [his] T-shirt / And [his] Polo cap.”
The next song is “Romeo.” “Romeo” is the anger that follows his breakup. In it, Conan detests his relationship with Brando, wishing he “listened to [his] friends who said [he] could get with a much better guy.”
Following “Romeo” is “My World.” “My World” is about Conan’s realization that he has free will, that Brando has no control over him and he’s free to be himself. Conan reflects over how he based his entire self on Brando’s perception of him.
The next song on the album is “Class Clown,” which breaks from the typical structure of the album. This song is about how Conan feels that, at the end of the day, he’s still the same person he’s been since middle school. He feels that if he doesn’t laugh and act happy, then everything will come crashing down.
After “Class Clown” is “Nauseous.” In “Nauseous,” Conan admits that he still wants his relationship with Brando, but that he’s afraid of it. He remembers his past relationships and how they hurt him. He believes that “maybe that’s why [he] feel[s] safe with bad guys / Because when they hurt [him], [he] won’t be surprised.”
The next song is “Caramel.” Conan can’t get Brando out of his head. He knows the relationship wasn’t good, but he can only remember the good parts. Conan chooses to ignore all the bad things Brando did. He even misses Brando’s “cigarette breath thick on [his] open mouth,” which Conan had said in “Romeo” that he “never liked kissin’ [his] mouth with cigarettes on [his] breath.”
After “Caramel” is “Connell.” “Connell” is a reference to the character from the book Normal People by Sally Rooney. In an interview Conan states how he relates to Marianne, Connell’s partner from Normal People. Brando reminds him “of how good it feels to hurt,” and “how little [he] deserve[s].”
Following “Connell” is “Sunset Tower,” in which Conan reveals he still cares about Brando and how he’s doing. Brando’s moving on but Conan isn’t. Conan says Brando even admits he’s “got a messed-up head and [he] need[s] some space,” but “if [he’s] working on yourself, don’t tell [him].”
The next song on the album is “Eleven Eleven.” Conan finds every sign from the universe as to support his relationship with Brando. This is despite Conan’s admission in an interview with Capital Buzz that he is not superstitious. In the interview he states, “… when you’re going through a breakup … [you] truly start to think that everything is a sign.”
“Care” is the last song of the album. Conan pulls everything together— he’s moved on from letting Brando control his self-worth, but their relationship was still an important part of his life. He won’t “miss being [Brando’s] lover,” but he’s “still losin’ a friend.”
Wishbone starts with Conan and Brando’s relationship, works through his feelings as they break up, and ends with how he feels after, not wanting to get back together, but still caring about the time they had. Overall, I feel this album is a really beautiful way of cataloging each feeling that comes with a breakup. Breakups are almost always messy, and emotions can overlap and change and fade. Wishbone does a great job of portraying that. You might have gone through a breakup yourself. Listening to this album will make those feelings even more striking!
