There are these moments in life when you feel perfectly at peace. It’s as if time has slowed and you feel overwhelmed with both wistfulness and joy, overcome with the sense that everything will be okay. I was fourteen, driving through rural Australia listening to my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist on a whim - hoping that it might play something I’d like. As it so happens the music gods were smiling down on me that day. The song Idle Town by Conan Gray began to play through my earphones, the nostalgic tone captured me straight away and I did as any angsty teen does - I gazed out the window as though I was in a film. The light piano, percussion that resembles a bicycle shifting gears and his dreamy vocals all mixed together to create this reminiscent song, making you long for simpler times. As I watched the neverending horizon and the wind creating ripples in the soft fields I knew that Conan Gray had my whole heart and I didn’t want or need it back.
Conan Gray began his Youtube career in 2013 making vlogs, sketches and the occasional music video. He has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to trends, his ‘artsy’ editing and love for thrifting came way before the Emma Chamberlain army emerged on the platform. Despite his trendsetting nature and rising popularity he has never been one to act superior and is quick to point out and discuss his own flaws with his audience. His chatty videos are real and honest and don’t sugar coat or romanticise anything, he opens up about his life while maintaining a healthy privacy by not filming every moment.
Imagine that Lorde and Troye Sivan had a baby together and Lana Del Rey raised this baby, this is Conan. His first cover on YouTube “To Make You Feel My Love” was posted on November 20th, 2014. From then on he continued to write original songs and released his EP Sunset Season in 2018, it was truly a good day when we were blessed with five original songs by The King of Bedroom Pop. His music is relatable, it talks about the struggles of growing up - the bullies, the friendships, the crushes, the messy relationships and all of that fun teen angst and anxiety. His song Generation Why truly takes the cake by understanding how it feels to be a teenager and the constant pressures laid upon us by older generations. Crush Culture has also triggered many late night solo dance parties in my bedroom - bouncing on my bed singing these lyrics. His new album Kid Krow has been a major breakthrough for his career. His songs are extremely dynamic, you can cry to Heather, make tik toks to Maniac, dance to Wish You Were Sober and feel extremely nostalgic listening to Little League. Even Conan’s long time idol Taylor Swift has praised his new music publicly along with thousands of others.
Over the past decade the music industry has seen a significant rise in Bedroom Pop artists and tracks, modern day technology has made it insanely easy to produce music from the comforts of your own bedroom. The genre is uniquely defined by its DIY techniques and a reverb-heavy, dreamy vibe. Consequently it has taken the industry by storm - birthing the careers of Rex Orange County, Clairo, Mac DeMarco, Conan Gray and the list goes on. Many of my Doc Marten-wearing, indie readers will argue that this is not just a music genre but rather an aesthetic or perhaps even a way of life. Bedroom Pop is often coupled with a retro, hipster style, donning tastefully layered thrifted clothing, fjallraven kanken backpacks and funky socks whilst listening to vinyl and drinking iced coffee . As you may have guessed, I myself have pledged my support to the cult of Bedroom Pop and I have Conan Gray to thank for this.
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