Conan Gray’s "Lonely Dancers" is Pure ‘80s Nostalgia
From producing sad whisper songs in his room on Garageband at 19-years-old in 2018, to now working with one of pop music’s most legendary producers, Max Martin, Conan Gray has plucked the ‘80s sound directly from the decade and is introducing it back into our ears. His newest single titled “Lonely Dancers” draws you in and throws you into Gray’s fully developed realm created for his upcoming album.
On January 31st, 2024, Gray announced that his highly anticipated third album is titled “Found Heaven” and will be released on April 5th, 2024. The release of "Lonely Dancers" follows after the announcement, and was released on February 9th, 2024. This is the fourth single from "Found Heaven," with the first three being "Never Ending Song," "Winner," and "Killing Me" which were all released in the latter half of 2023. Through all of the singles it is clear that Gray has completely changed his approach to singing and songwriting for this new album cycle. In an interview with Zach Sang, Gray disclosed, “It is very different from anything I’ve ever made…I’ve made two albums, Kid Krow and Superache, [and] they are kind of the same thing…I feel like I have to do something different now just for the sake of being like at least I tried something.” Gray continued on to say, “You change and you grow, and third album, you’re allowed to do some weird sh*t.” From "Never Ending Song" to "Lonely Dancers," Gray has made sure to differentiate his old projects from his newest creation.
Official Cover Image of "Found Heaven," Gray’s Upcoming Album
Diving into "Lonely Dancers," from the drop of the first synth you are completely enthralled by the sound of the song, and when Gray’s vocals are initially heard it can be jarring to those who have been fans of his previous work. For this new album, Gray has began to be very experimental with his voice, which includes adding this new layer of depth to his vocal abilities. He takes on a much more daring and grungy approach to his lower-octave singing, and when you hear the shift back into his already familiar voice you can hear the range and versatility that he holds. The juxtaposition between the two styles of singing can practically come off as if his new-found voice is being featured on “Lonely Dancers” alongside his known sound, almost as if he is collabing with himself on his own track.
With the synths firing off, and the smooth beat layered throughout the song, its easy to take the production of the song as upbeat and gleeful, but the lyrical content displays the real angle of this song that is more so dejected while still jocular. The overall theme of the track seems to be an anthem for all single people just trying to get by without becoming emotional over the fact that they are single. In the chorus, Gray sings, “Were lonely dancers, baby, dance with me so we don’t cry,” and this can be taken in a multitude of ways, but knowing Gray’s personality to be very sarcastic and hyperbolic it is clear this is his way of expressing his distain for heartbreak and wanting to effortlessly dance the pain away. In the bridge, Gray also sings, “Wait, stop, forget that guy, he don’t know love, I hope he dies, get back up, we’ll be alright,” which is, yet again, a display of his love for hyperbole, but also is a call for the listener to join him in dancing through the end of a relationship to get to the other side as unscathed as possible.
Cover Image of "Found Heaven," Gray’s Upcoming Album (Target Edition)
Gray also released a music video alongside this captivating song, featuring a myriad of elements from the ‘80s to coincide beautifully with the track. Some of these elements include the bright color lights throughout a bar that is quintessential to ‘80s music videos, a jukebox full of Gray’s own songs, and the fashion that is heavily seen in movies produced of that time. Gray has mentioned that he has put forth a huge amount of work towards this visual component of the track. He has designed this entire music video himself, even down to choreographing the entire piece on his own, and then had Jason Lester, a filmmaker from Los Angeles, CA who has made over 125 music videos, be the director for the project. The visual element of this track fits so well with the concept of the audio, and it displays the care and thought that Gray put into this project as a whole.
If there has ever been a time to become a Conan Gray fan, now is the time. From working with Max Martin and Greg Kurstin , to fully conceptualizing an album cycle to fit his own intrigue, Conan Gray is paving his own path in the pop music industry. His new album is out April 5th, 2024, and with the track record he has with these past four singles, we can expect Gray to be a chart topper here soon.
Listen to “Lonely Dancers” on Spotify, and check out the Music Video Below!
