By Kenzie Kibler ‘28 and Malia Radcliff ‘29
“Wishbone” is the fourth studio album by Conan Gray. It was released August 15, 2025, with Wishbone Deluxe releasing on April 24, 2026. Conan has been making music since high school, but he gained most of his popularity after his first full album, “Kid Krow,” with his breakthrough songs of “Heather” and “Maniac.” Since then, he has gained new fans with each of his releases, being relatable to almost everyone in some way through his music. Each of his albums have a range of vibes, from depressing, raw emotions to 80’s-style pop. Much of his discography is about wanting love or getting over breakups through powerful lyrics and strong emotions.
“Wishbone” is about the idea of luck and superstitions. Gray hints at the idea of “getting the short end of the stick” in a wishbone. He uses these ideas to show a failed relationship. In many of his songs he sings about being in a secret relationship and the troubles that it brings. For example, in “Caramel” he sings, “And all the nights with your friends around Ignoring me so they won’t find out.” Then in the “Wishbone Deluxe” album, the whole idea is the aftermath of a breakup. In his lyrics, it is him trying to move on despite lingering feelings.
There is no way you can listen to these heart-wrenching lyrics without feeling deep emotions. The album includes 17 songs: “Actor,” “This Song,” “Vodka Cranberry,” “Romeo,” “My World,” “Class Clown,” “Nauseous,” “Caramel,” “Connell,” “Sunset Tower,” “Eleven Eleven,” “Care,” “Do I Dare,” “House That Always Rains,” “Door,” “Moths,” and “The Best”. “Vodka Cranberry” is the most popular song off of this album, followed by “Eleven Eleven.”
Kenzie’s favorite song from “Wishbone” is “Eleven Eleven,” track 11 on the album. She enjoys this song because of the deep meanings and realities of it. Out of the album, it is considered one of the more slow and down-to-earth songs. “Eleven Eleven” is a song about coming to terms with your feelings and not wanting to move on from the past, with lyrics like “As much as I act like I want to forget it, I still wish for you at 11:11.” It also talks about superstitions and hoping to find signs as reasons to not move on. While not everyone may relate to this song, Conan makes the many listeners feel like they can connect to his powerful lyrics and strong emotions. Kenzie loves the way he uses his empowering emotions and voice to make the song sound personal and truly heartfelt with his messages in the song.
Malia’s favorite song from Wishbone is “My World,” track 5 on the album. She likes this song because of how it sounds and the meaning behind it. “My World” is a self-empowering song about owning your life, saying, “It’s my world and it’s my life.” It is seen as a “walkout song,” because the singer is walking out of a toxic relationship. The song is one of the more upbeat songs in the album, and the lyrics aren’t as depressing. Fans have also called this song a “bisexual anthem” because of the lyrics, “It’s my girl and it’s my guy. I’ll kiss ‘em if I might like.” Her favorite part of the song is the bridge because she enjoys the sound, and how his voice changes. She also likes the lyrics in the bridge, thinking that they are very empowering. Just from the intro, she knows she is going to be listening to a great song.
Overall, while you might not directly relate to Gray’s songs in his album “Wishbone,” he definitely knows how to make the listener feel connected when listening. From the ranges of deep and depressing to the upbeat and empowering lyrics with strong instrumentals, you will go through an emotional rollercoaster while listening to this album.