Conan Gray
WIMITLA. SONG REVIEW
By Alix Sholomon and Elie Weitzman
In a song reminiscent of “The Story” and other classics from his discography, Conan Gray brought it back to the bare bones of the music that made him so popular and delivers a heart-wrenching ballad in the form of “Astronomy.” The track was released hot off the heels of his previous song “Overdrive,” which came out earlier this year. Out of the two, however, “Astronomy” evokes a far more nostalgic mood for Conan’s younger days as a musician.
The foremost identifying element of this beautiful song is the lack of an overpowering instrumental, substituted instead for his signature guitar chords accompanied by various other instruments that make way for his vocals to truly shine. After all, he is a vocal-oriented artist more than anything — whereas artists like John Mayer or Ed Sheeran devote large portions of their songs to flaunting their impressive skills on an instrument, Conan plays to his strengths and makes his angelic voice the centerpiece of the work.
As with most of his songs, Conan’s lyrics on “Astronomy” are the kind of depressing that makes us want to walk into the ocean. The track is about the gradual deterioration of love between two people and the tragedy in their eventual separation. It delivers an unconventional look at breakups, as Conan forgoes the traditional cliches often seen in breakup songs in order to drive home the fact that there is no storybook, romcom movie, perfect ending in the real world. He draws upon his personal experiences with falling out of love, rehashing the confusion, frustration, and heartbreak that comes with letting someone leave your life after such a long time in it. It is a perfect example of the skills that made Conan famous in the first place: a songwriting ability that is not only relatable, but also eloquent in its communication of basic human experiences that everyone can relate to. Conan may have gotten big over the last few years after his start on YouTube, but one thing is for sure: he will always stay good at what he does. 7.5/10