No Romeo, No Safety Net : Conan Gray’s Wishbone Goes for the Jugular
Conan Gray’s heart-wrenching album Wishbone leaves listeners with no more tears left to shed. This personal and self-discovering project explores queer discourse, self-anxieties, family trauma, and more. From “i wrote this song about you” to “you’re no romeo,” the record takes listeners through the full arc of an emotional rollercoaster. Wishbone is packed with storytelling and lyrical imagery that resonates deeply.
The album flows from beginning to end as a story between two boys, brought to life even more through the music video trilogy that encapsulates their relationship. Songs like “this song,” “vodka cranberry,” and “carmel” capture the emotions of that initial deep connection, the gut-wrenching uncertainty of not fully having someone, the pain of watching them explore other options but still come back to you, and the haunting way they continue to linger in your life. Conan wraps it all together with metaphors that thread throughout the album.
But Wishbone is also about self-discovery — not just sexuality, but family and identity. He reflects on things his parents said that still haunt him, and how most of what he knows about love hasn’t come from loved ones. In “nauseous” he admits: “That’s not a thing I’ve learned from my loved ones.” He touches on the struggles of growing up, how the past still lingers, and how he feels like the “class clown” because he can’t escape the weight of his childhood. Conan talks about letting his younger self down, which feels especially powerful when paired with his use of higher-pitched, taunting vocals and repeated lyrics — as if his anxieties are circling back again and again.
This album as a whole is written beautifully. The lyrical style, metaphors, and literary devices are placed perfectly in each song. For longtime fans, it stands as one of Conan’s strongest works — vulnerable and raw. With Wishbone, Conan Gray doesn’t just tell stories; he creates a soundtrack for self-discovery and survival.
Written by Maddison Weizenegger | September 13, 2025