Conan Gray
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Conan often wrote from the perspective of an observer, someone watching a crush, a friend group, or even their life from the lens of an outsider. Did this “outsider” lens make the lyrics feel more relatable, or did it create a sort of emotional distance that made the songs harder to connect with?
Conan Gray’s perspective as an observer functioned less like a wall and more like a one-way mirror. He peered through the thick glass capturing the light, yet aching beauty of a world he isn’t quite sure how to join. Having struggled with loneliness and depression throughout his childhood due to the constant moving as a “military brat” he became a person who, as he told Flaunt, “much more observed the world, than participated in it,”(Smyth, 2022). This detachment eventually evolved into his signature creative theme, creating a platform of relatability with his fans, whom he affectionately calls his friends. Songs like “Comfort Crowd” perfectly captured this dynamic, creating a quiet sanctuary found in shared silence and the profound comfort of having someone else when you are used to only watching from the sidelines. In his music, Conan uses his position to include “real specifics” and “brutal honesty” in his artwork with him believing that it is “the only way you can really connect with people,”(Smyth,2022). His creative innovation of implementing his emotions in his lyrics resonates with a generation of “kids who grew up on the internet,” who have their own personal feelings of observation and longing (Gordon, 2022). Moreover, in his song “Family Line,” his theme of detachment is well seen as it collides with “Comfort Crowd” with the want for something more. His fans can connect with this song as oftentimes, his fans may have some form of trauma and the question is begged of whether it creates them. The documentation of these fragile moments amidst a life full of isolation, Conan is able to transform his solitude into a shared home where no one has to feel invisible anymore.
Create a visual representation, realistic or abstract regarding the theme, the feelings the songs evoke, the imagery, etc. Then, write a brief paragraph explaining how the image represents the songs to you.
This soft sketch, is a simple drawing in the world of the Hundred Acre Wood, a little piece of art of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. It served as a bittersweet reminder of the emotional perspective of “Family Line” and “Comfort Crowd.” Much like the lyrics within “Comfort Crowd,” the character of Winnie the Pooh and his companions represents a sanctuary where silence is never awkward and being together is the only requirement for their friendship. Within the scraps of being alone, they created their own little family that healed the jagged edges of a difficult past. However, despite how peaceful the world of the Hundred Acre Wood is, the lingering, yet, sharp shadow of “Family Line” is seen within characters like Eeyore or Piglet. Their quiet anxieties and never ending sadness felt almost like inherited burdens that we are trying to outrun. The drawing captures the delicacy within Conan Gray and his music. It brings a soft feeling within the realization that whilst I or you may carry the DNA of those that came before us, we can find a red balloon that gives hope. That red balloon can be held whilst sitting around a table sharing the difficulties and happiness that life may bring.
Consider your research so far, and write a brief paragraph explaining what cultural, political, historical, or personal circumstances you believe shape the songs, and explain how it helps to understand the songs better.
Conan Gray’s songwriting was fundamentally shaped by his personal background as a “nomadic military brat” that confined him to a constant state of being the “new kid” (Smyth, 2022). This personal instability coincided with the historical shift into the digital era where society became the most connected, yet more emotionally disconnected than ever. In this image, a new world where most everyone became spectators of other’s lives and eventually their own, Conan Gray emerged as the quintessential “internet kid”(Flaunt). Understanding this context elevates his work from the simple “bedroom pop” to where the state of loneliness within generation Z has become a sociological study (Netflix, 2020). For instance, “Comfort Crowd” resonates with fans who feel the disconnect of having the world at their fingertips whilst remaining profoundly isolated in reality. Ultimately, his music functions as a reprieve from life, moreover, by being “brutally honest” about his family trauma in songs like “Family Line,” he created a sanctuary of comfort (Ledonne, 2025).
References
Bey, Tyler. “The Rise of Conan Gray, A Brilliant Transformation!” Hollywood Insider, 30 Oct. 2020,
https://www.hollywoodinsider.com/conan-gray-music-youtube-tiktok/
Smyth, Tom. “2025 Grammys Performances & Highlights.” Grammy, 30 Jan. 2025, https://www.grammy.com/news/conan-gray-digs-deeper-on-new-album-superache
Joshi, Matli. “Conan Gray “People Watching” Song Review.” WKNC 88.1, 12 July, 2022
https://wknc.org/2022/07/12/conan-gray-people-watching-song-review/
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Hello! I have listened to a few of Conan Grays songs like people watching and family line before, I enjoy his music. I enjoyed reading your post about Conan Gray but I feel like he often writes from his perspective and the songs are about him. I feel like it is not so much him writing as an outsider or observer. In his song "Family Line" he is writing about his mom and his dad. The Lyric "But I truly am my parents' child" shows him speaking on his parents and how he is their child in the way he acts. These Lyrics "God, I have my father's eyes But my sister's when I cry" show how he is speakung about his family and hwo he resembles them physically. I think this shows how he is writing form hi sperspective about himself. For his song "Comfort Crowd" it could be taken as a bit more of an outsider perspective but I think it is more focused on him and how he is feeling lonley. His lyric "Yeah, I just needed company now" is talkign from his perspective just howiing that the song is in first person perspective rather than an observor. I enjoyed reading your response but I do think he writes from more of a first person point of view about himself not as an observor.
ReplyDeleteGray, Conan. “Family Line.” Superache, Republic Records, 2022
Gray, Conan. “Comfort Crowd.” Kid Krow, Republic Records, 2020
Hi Dalila, after reading your response and listening to Conan Gray's songs "Family Line" and "Comfort Crowd" I understood these songs as coming from his perspective. I think you did a good job in your response but it does not seem like Conan Gray is writing from an outsiders perspective. In both of his songs he uses a lot of first person language and tells stories that he went through. For example, in "Family Line" he says "I can run, but I can't hide / From my family line" (Gray). In these lyrics he uses the words "my" and "I" to make the song come from his perspective. This is also similar to his song "Comfort Crowd" since he uses the same language. An example from this song could be the lyrics "My breath's gettin' short and I'm unsteady / Wellin' up in tears as I lay upon your belly". He uses the same words throughout both of these songs to have listeners understand his feelings and his perspective. However, I do agree that these songs can be relatable, it just seems it is relatable because he is speaking through what he has gone through in his songs, not an outsider explaining his perspective.
ReplyDeleteHi Dalilia! First off I love Conan Gray and I actually had the opportunity to see him at All Things Go last year! His music is definitely moving, and all though it comes from him feeling isolated himself, I believe that does no create a sense of isolation for the listener. It rather creates a sense of community, and feeling seen through feeling unseen. I think that the two songs you chose, “About” and “People Watching” cover that well. Especially in the line, “I’m only looking just to love through you vicariously” (Conan Gray) Captures this feeling of isolation and wanting to be apart of something, yet feeling like you can’t. I think your inclusion of Symths perception and highlights of Conan’s Grammy performance resonates well with your argument as well! Great job!
DeleteHi Dalila! I love Conan Gray so much, he is one of my favorite artists! I feel that by writing from an outside perspective it made the songs more relatable in a sense. I agree with you and I like how you framed his perspective as a "one-way mirror". For instance, in "Family Line" you hear him talk say "My father never talked a lot" or "My mother never cried a lot" (Family Line). This outsider perspective makes the more "broken" home perspective more relatable by listening to him describe the actions and feelings of all the people in the family. When it comes to "Comfort Crowd" Conan Gray says "I just need someone around" (Comfort Crowd). I believe that this shows his perspective of wanting to be with groups or friends and not be alone, he is calling out and "beggin on my knees" (Comfort Crowd) to have someone there with him and not be alone. Overall, I feel that Conan Grays outsider perspective does add to the relatability of his music. By hearing the lonelier/hurting side it gives something to relate to and feel to when those instances come around.
ReplyDeleteHi Delila! I love a lot of Conan Gray's music, especially "Family Line"! I have never listened to the song "Comfort Crowd," so I am glad your post gave me a new song to listen to. I agree with your take on how his outside perspective provides a deeper connection with the listener. In the song "Comfort Crowd," the lyrics "Yeah, I just needed someone around" show a feeling that many people go through. Although his songs reflect his perspective a lot, they deal with topics that are experienced by many people all over the world. In the song "Family Line", the lyric "I was a kid, but I wasn't clueless (Someone who loves you wouldn't do this)" is one of my favorite lines. The lyrics in parentheses are background vocals, but they power through and add so much emotion to the song. Some other songs by Conan Gray that I love are "The Cut that Always Bleeds" and "People Watching". I think that those songs have similar emotional depth to the two in this blog and provide more connection. Overall, his outside perspective is a great addition to the stories he tells through his music and is beneficial because many people can relate to his topics.
ReplyDeleteHi Dalila! I really love how you described Conan’s perspective as a "one-way mirror" because it perfectly captures that feeling of being near people but not truly with them. To answer your question, I think the "outsider" lens actually makes his lyrics way more relatable because so many of us feel like we are just "people watching" rather than actually living. In "People Watching," he admits, "I'm only looking at you from a screen," which is such a mood for our generation (Gray). Even when he is being a bit detached, it feels like he is inviting us into his head to be lonely together. In "Comfort Crowd," he says, "Beggin' on my knees, 'Stay for as long as you need,'" showing that even an observer eventually needs a safe place to land (Gray). This honesty breaks down the emotional distance because we realize he isn’t being cold; he’s just being protective of his heart. I think his background as a "military brat" makes these lyrics feel earned rather than forced. It’s like he turned his isolation into a superpower that lets him see the "real specifics" we usually overlook. Your comparison to the Hundred Acre Wood is so cute, especially since Eeyore is basically the original "observer" king! It really helps explain how "Family Line" feels like carrying a burden that wasn't yours to begin with.
ReplyDeleteGray, Conan. "Comfort Crowd." Kid Krow, Republic Records, 2020.
Gray, Conan. "People Watching." Superache, Republic Records, 2022.
Hey Dalila! I wanted to give you a round of applause for the visual you created. It great how you connected the friendship of Winnie, Egyore, Piglety, and Tigger to how it doesn't matter what activity is done, as long as they are together thats what is important. Comfort crowd pairs perfectly with the visual aid. In the song it reads, "Yeah I just need someone right now / Yeah, I don't care what song that we play / or mess that we make" (Gray). Conan desires someones presence rather than an actual conversation. To him, it seems better than being all by yourself overthinking everything. This is a real life issues many people overlook and some people are better at hiding their emotions. He's an amazing artist for people who through struggles and provides an escape through his music.
ReplyDeleteHi Dalila! Your approach toward seeing Conan Gray as an observer interested in his surrounding world sounds quite interesting to me. However, as compared to other approaches provided by other students in response to the assignment, mine slightly differs from theirs. The thing is, I do not perceive Conan Gray's outsider's point of view as entirely independent from the artist himself; rather, I tend to believe he is inside the situation while observing it from another viewpoint. For instance, in the song "Comfort Crowd," the lyrics, "We're not talking, but we're not alone" (Gray) seem like they were written by the artist from within the process of the described events but also after having stepped outside of the situation for a second to analyze its meaning and importance. Also, when listening to the song "Family Line," I cannot avoid paying attention to the lyrics "All my past, I tried to erase it / But now I see, would I even change it?" (Gray). Therefore, the "outsider" view does not distance the listeners from the song but draws them into the song due to its nature. It brings to mind situations when one recalls personal experience to analyze it. However, one can understand why other listeners could think about the inner character of this music rather than the outside observer's perspective. He often uses first-person pronouns in his works; thus, some listeners may consider it to be an aspect of a subjective approach rather than an objective one. In my opinion, the music would lose the emotional component if there were no reflection aspect! Overall, you did a great job with analyzing these songs!
ReplyDeleteHi Dalila! I think that your interpretation of Conan Grey's artwork is very well thought out. I think that you could improve upon your response by adding more instances of how Grey uses his voice to display his perspective of viewing these experiences from the outside instead of describing his experiences. I think that you could argue that his lyrics in "Comfort Crowd" show a greater story, "I just needed company now/Yeah, I just needed someone around" (Grey). I think that through this lyric he is describing his isolation and his loneliness, showing that he is alone and watching these experiences transpiring in front of him. In his other song, "Family Line," it seems he uses his lyrics to capture the perfect answer to your question. He says, "My mother never cried a lot/She took the punches, but she never fought" (Gray). In this lyric I think that he is using his voice to show these experiences hapenning around him and trying to connect with others that experience these tradgedies.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Gray, Conan. “Family Line." Genius, 24 June 2022, https://genius.com/Conan-gray-family-line-lyrics
Gray, Conan. “Comfort Crowd.” Genius, 5 September 2019, https://genius.com/Conan-gray-comfort-crowd-lyrics
Hi Dalila, I didn't know much about Conan Gray and his songs, but after reading your response and thinking about “Comfort Crowd” and “Family Line” songs, I think his “outsider” perspective actually makes his lyrics more relatable. Even though he describes feelings of watching from the outside, the way he expresses those emotions is very personal and honest, which helps listeners connect to what he is going through. A lot of people can relate to feeling like an outsider at some point, so that perspective makes the songs feel more real. I think you did a really good job explaining this idea, especially with your “one-way mirror” description, because it clearly showed how he can observe but still feel deeply connected. Your explanation of loneliness and growing up in the digital age also helped support your point. Overall, your response was thoughtful and helped me better understand his songs.
ReplyDeleteHi Dalila! I really enjoy Conan Gray's music, especially "Comfort Crowd". I listened to that song a lot when it first came out in 2020 during the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home. Rather than his music feeling like it comes from an outsider’s perspective, I see it as very personal, like he’s directly expressing his own thoughts and emotions. In the song "Comfort Crowd", there are the lyrics "I just needed company now/Yeah, I just needed someone around/Yeah, I don't care what song that we play/Or mess that we make/Just company now" ("Comfort Crowd"). To me, it feels like he’s expressing feelings that are deeply personal. Because of that, I think it might be more effective to focus less on the outsider perspective and more on how these emotions are coming from him directly, and then connect that to how many people can relate to those same feelings. Also, tying the song to the loneliness and need for comfort that many people experienced during 2020, and even still feel now, could really strengthen the idea of universality. Overall, I really enjoyed your blog. Conan Gray is a great artist!
ReplyDelete