Found Heaven

Gen Z pop star and low-key fashion icon Conan Gray summons the glam-pop gods on his third studio album, <i>Found Heaven</i>, which builds on the synth-pop odysseys of his 2022 breakthrough <i>Superache</i>. The album finds Gray singing of love lost and heartbreak, shining a light on the lonely and desperate, those looking for a hand or simply a path forward. On the disco-tinged “Lonely Dancers”, he implores those looking for a temporary home to follow him as he sings, “We’re lonely dancers, join me for the night/We’re lonely dancers, baby/Dance with me so we don’t cry.” There’s a beauty in owning your vulnerability, and Gray makes that a philosophy of the album. “Miss You” is an icy number with ’80s New Wave chic during the verses—before reaching for the dance floors during the euphoric choruses. “Forever With Me” is built for the credit sequence of a John Hughes film, mixing Queen-esque harmonies with ecstatic dedications to the underdog. This theme is most apparent on the triumphant album closer “Winner”, a piano ballad in the vein of pop classics from Elton John and Warren Zevon. He sings, “The only thing you’ve proven is that there’s no one who ever has done better/At makin’ me feel worse/Now you really are the winner.” Even in the jaws of heartbreak, there’s a certain grace in owning the pain.