Album: Kid Krow
Artist: Conan Gray
Genre: Indie pop, Bedroom Pop
Record label(s): Republic Records
Recommended Tracks: Track 8- Affluenza Track 10- Heather
Conan Gray is a 21 year old American singer, song writer, and social media personality. He was born on December 5th, 1998 in California and raised in Texas. His genre is usually pop and he plays the guitar a lot in his music and does a lot of vocals. Conan first started off as a social media personality by uploading videos to YouTube in 2013. His content were usually vlogs centered on his life in his small town in Texas. He demonstrated his music, art and videos on YouTube. Conan released his first debut single, “Idle Town”, himself in 2017. He got over 14 million streams in Spotify and 12 million views on YouTube. He has gone on to release singles and EPs. He released his first studio album in March 20th, 2020 called “Kid Krow”. Conan’s music is inspired by Adele, Lorde and other artists. This album is a “coming of age” type of record that is inspired by Conan’s life, rough childhood experiencing poverty, discrimination and abuse while growing up mixed race. I would rate this album a 5 stars out of 5 due to the theme the album, the messages behind the individual tracks, and the usage of amazing instrumentals throughout the tracks.
The 8th track on the album is called “Affluenza” . This track deals with themes of money and how money doesn’t solve your issues. This song also reflects Conan’s life with financial issues and wanting money but realizing that money can not solve issues. The track begins with a slow bass beat with drums playing slowly in the back. The best slowly gets louder and faster as it reaches the chorus. A piano comes in with key words for the chorus. It slows down again for the second verse until the chorus again. The bridge is the best part of the track because all instruments are quiet but the piano and when it plays it is heavy and quick. The lyrics of the song are clever and refer to other songs. The use of the word “Affluenza” was clever since it was used as a mental issue thinking that wealth bought privilege and that there is no link between consequences and the rational mind. Also the rhythm of the song is amazing because it changes when the focus is on the rich people and their issues.
The 10th track is called “Heather” is could be the saddest song on the album. This song is about having someone you love love someone else and hating that someone else Jaír because they have the attention of the on you love. The song starts out with a twinkling sound followed by a guitar solo which gives the song a sad essence. The song goes on with the guitar for the rest of the track. The lyrics also feel sad and heartbreaking. The bridge is a really emotional part since it has vocals that echo the main lyrics and it also has vocals shouting which give the song emotion. The lyrics show a sense of longing to be Heather just to be the one your lover loves. This song is really heartbreaking and emotional. Kid Krow is meant to be a diary of sorts that detail Conan’s life. Even though it’s meant to reflect his life, it also reflects the audiences life since many of his listeners have gone through issues similar to his in their lifetime. Conan shares a lot of his experiences from abuse to poverty. These issues resonate with a lot of people and this is a reason why this album is amazing. The instrumentals also played a role in making this album amazing. The use of the bass and piano were awesome and gave the tracks a really cool vibe. The use of guitar solos also gave some tracks that sense of innocence and more emotion. Overall, if you enjoy artists that follow an indie pop vibe then I recommend you listen to Girl in Red. If you also love music that deals with real life and personal issues, then I highly recommend you listen to Conan Gray’s album, Kid Krow.
