Conan Gray has a surprising confession: he feels more at home on tour than in his own bed. But here's where it gets intriguing—the 26-year-old pop sensation, fresh off the American leg of his Wishbone Pajama Show tour, reveals that life on the road has become his unexpected comfort zone. In an exclusive chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Gray opens up about why his latest album, Wishbone, is his most authentic work yet—and how it’s reshaping his identity as an artist and a person.
But here’s the part most people miss: Gray’s comfort on tour isn’t just about the glitz of performing. It’s the routine—the coffee, the card games, the songwriting—that grounds him, no matter if he’s in Reno, Nevada, or Bogota, Colombia. This sense of normalcy in chaos is what makes Wishbone such a raw reflection of his journey. Led by the single Vodka Cranberry, the album is a mosaic of his past selves, pieced together into someone he finally recognizes as himself.
And this is where it gets controversial: Gray admits he wrote Wishbone without worrying about how it would be received. But is that even possible for an artist of his caliber? He insists the album was born from a place of pure self-expression, not fan expectations. Yet, he can’t help but feel a childlike pride in it—like showing off a masterpiece to your siblings. This raises the question: Can artists truly detach from the pressure of public opinion, or is it an inevitable part of the creative process?
Gray’s transformation is palpable. He describes Wishbone as the culmination of every heartbreak, friendship gained or lost, and life lesson he’s ever experienced. It’s as if the album gelatinized his identity, turning a once-fluid sense of self into something solid. But what’s next? Gray’s goal is to stay on this path of unfiltered authenticity, regardless of how Wishbone is received. Is this the key to artistic freedom, or a recipe for burnout?
As Gray prepares to take his tour to Mexico, one thing is clear: Wishbone isn’t just an album—it’s a declaration of self. But here’s the real question for you: Can an artist ever truly separate their art from the world’s reaction to it? Sound off in the comments—we want to hear your take!
