Conan Gray

Known for his buoyant, if often melancholy sound, Conan Gray straddles the line between dance music and confessional indie pop. Gray initially emerged online in 2013 with his successful YouTube channel. Over time, he found a dedicated audience who tuned in for videos about his life, as well as his original acoustic- and electronic-inflected songs. In 2018, he gathered a handful of his tracks, including "Generation Why" and "Crush Culture" on the Sunset Season EP. His full-length debut, Kid Krow, arrived in 2020. Born in San Diego in 1998, Gray grew up in a multicultural family of Irish and Japanese heritage. He also spent time living in Hiroshima, Japan, while his parents cared for his grandfather. After his parent's divorce, he moved to Texas with his mother and, at age 15, he launched his YouTube channel (originally called ConanXCanon). Posting vlogs about his life, his interest in art, and acoustic cover songs, he built a loyal following, gaining upwards of 900,000 subscribers. He found similar success on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and SoundCloud. In 2015, Gray relocated to Los Angeles, where he enrolled at UCLA. He continued to build his online presence, adding original pop songs to his repertoire. Initially, early songs like "Those Days," "Lovesick Boys," and "The Other Side" were more bare-bones, showcasing his voice and ukulele or guitar. But with 2017's "Grow" and "Idle Town," he showcased a move to a more fleshed-out sound, mixing in synth and minor electronic flourishes. In 2018, he issued his debut EP, Sunset Season, which included the singles "Generation Why" and "Crush Culture." Several non-album singles followed in 2019, including "The King," "Checkmate," and "Comfort Crowd." In March 2020, Gray released his full-length debut, Kid Krow, which featured production by Daniel Nigro. Included on the album were the spotlight tracks "Checkmate," "Comfort Crowd," and "Maniac."