Conan Gray, popular artist and the singer of all-time favorite “Heather,” released his latest album on June 24. With its arrival, Gray has captured listeners with his meaningful lyrics and heartfelt melodies.

The album, titled “Superache,” is one of the most expressive collections of emotion, describing everything from the anxiety that comes with new relationships, the ache for true love and leaving past love in memories. In each song, Gray expresses the idea of love within the heartbreak of the moment.

“Movies”

First up is “Movies,” a title realized in the opening line, “Movies, movies I want a love like the movies.” Addressing the fantasy of having a love comparable to romances seen in films, real-life relationship strains are put into stark contrast with lyrics like, “But I know that’s not what we’re doing ‘cause, baby, this ain’t like the movies.”

Gray approaches the pain of being in a relationship that is falling apart while still trying to look good in front of friends. As the song begins, Gray sings, “In my head, we’re dancing in the dark/ In my head, we kiss under the stars,” telling a story of someone who wishes their relationship was still whole and like ones in the movies.

“Movies” is easily the most memorable tune in the album and allows listeners to experience the singer’s hurt with tunes that rise and fall, much like a heart does in a tumultuous relationship.

“People Watching”

“People Watching” is another love song but has small twist. Instead of focusing on someone in a relationship, Gray sings about someone who has never been in love but aches to experience a true relationship.

Lyrics like, “But I wanna feel all that love and emotion/ Be that attached to the person I’m holding,” describe the longing that he feels when watching another couple and their perfect love life.

It’s a perfect song for single people waiting to experience their first love. This upbeat but wistful song delivers its message with the lyric, “Someday, I’ll be falling without caution but for now, I’m only people watching.”

“Disaster”

Next up, “Disaster” describes the anxiety that comes with trusting and dating a new person. A new kind of pain is discovered in this tune, one that is often self-inflicted when jumping into a new relationship.

When Gray sings, “This could be a disaster, there’s so many factors/ Like what if you freak out and then we’re losin’ it all at the critical disaster where I say ‘I love you,’ and you don’t say it after,” the danger of overthinking love when first beginning a relationship is addressed, letting listeners know that relationship anxiety is real.

The upbeat, relationship-focused tune is similar to “People Watching” but different enough to stand on its own as well.

“Best Friend”

“Best Friend” explores a loving friendship. It’s a change from the previous romance-driven songs and a clever way to switch up the album’s topic while staying true to the theme.

Gray sings, “That’s my f***** best friend/ that’s my f***** right hand,” to express the love he has for his closest friend. The tune further delivers this message with guitar melodies that create a comforting feeling that’s reminiscent of the comfort of having best friends. 

“Astronomy”

“Astronomy” takes on vocals that are reminiscent of his song “Heather,” but stays true to the current motifs of “Superache.” He sings, “We’ve traveled the seas, we’ve ridden the stars/ We’ve seen everything from Saturn to Mars/ As much as it seems like you own my heart, it’s astronomy, we’re two worlds apart,” to describe a relationship formed through a bond built by pain and life, but is falling apart due to the couple’s differences. 

It has a slower melody in which Gray narrates the process of letting go of the person he loves. Lyrics like, “Stop trying to keep us alive. You’re pointing at stars in the sky that already died/ Stop trying to keep us alive. You can’t force the stars to align when they’ve already died.” bring the audience on a journey of lost romance and the acceptance that comes along with it.

“Yours”

“Yours” brings listeners back to romantic relationships, but this time, Gray addresses the more complicated side of love. In the song, Gray sings about how he doesn’t belong to the person he is in a relationship with.

In the piano-based tune, Gray sings, “I’m somebody you touch, but never hold/ And you’re somebody I’ll never really know.” It’s full of long and emotionally filled high notes, where Gray expresses his emotions and overall meaning: “I’m not yours.”

“Jigsaw”

Staying closer to the newer and more intense side of broken relationships, Gray begins his next song, “Jigsaw,” which leans toward the rock genre. 

Gray sings about changing himself for another person to love him, a common mistake made in real-life romantic relationships. However, near the end, Gray sings, “I’ve changed every part of me until the puzzle pieces aren’t me at all/ I look in the mirror, now I’m just a jigsaw,” proving that changing himself for a relationship isn’t healthy.

Although the song moves along to a harsher melody, the tune still takes its place amongst the other songs, expressing emotion with the help of new genres.

“Family Line”

“Family Line,” takes a top spot amongst the most heartbreaking songs in the album. It’s a gentler tune that describes Gray’s struggle with an abusive family that makes him scared of love. 

In the song, he sings about how his connection to his family, acknowledging that he lies like his mother, has his father’s eyes that turn into his sister’s eyes when he cries. He explores love by remembering family and the painful memories of the past, separating “Family Line” from previous songs but sharing in their heartbreak as well.

“Summer Child “

“Oh summer child. You don’t have to act like all you feel is mild. You don’t really love the sun, it drives you wild. You’re lyin’ summer child,” are some of Gray’s lyrics from “Summer Child,” a tune that describes a summer child who hides her emotions behind summer.

Gray expresses another kind of love in the tune, with lyrics full of care for the summer child. Although it’s detached from the romantic relationships in his previous songs, “Summer Child” goes into the pain of someone else, and Gray urges the child to express her pain and emotions that come from sad memories.

“Footnote”

Rejection is the main theme in “Footnote,” especially in the opening lines, “You said at the party I was too drunk/ I told you I liked you, you said, ‘Sober up.’” This time, Gray compares his love life to novels instead of films, describing the difference between romance in fantasy compared to life.

As the song grapples with rejection, Gray sings about becoming a footnote in the life of the one he loves after being rejected, leaving the audience to listen to his story of a painful end of a crush, accented by strong, leading guitar melodies. 

“Memories”

Near the album’s end, “Memories” begins the conversation about what happens after a relationship finishes. When Gray sings, “I wish that you would just stay in my memories,” he expresses the ache that comes with forgetting a person and making sure they remain in his memories.

Surprisingly, this song is one that is more reminiscent of classical music but eventually leads into a more energetic melody, accompanied by expressive vocals.

“The Exit”

The title, “The Exit,” is perfect for the end of an album. In it, Gray talks about the hurt that comes with finding out the person he loves has fallen for someone else before the relationship has even ended.

“You love her, it’s over. You already found someone to miss,” is the line to conclude the last song on the tracklist, one that perfectly sums up the pain of watching the person he’s still in love with find another. “The Exit” lets “Superache” live up to its name by letting those who are listening truly understand the aches and pains of all kinds of relationships.

“Superache” stands up for everyone, despite someone’s current relationship status. The numerous kinds of superaches that are involved with love can be understood by those who are single, those who have been heartbroken and even those who are still in love.

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