Words by Sophia Campanella
Returning to his emotional and longing nature, Conan Gray released his second single, “Vodka Cranberry,” for his fourth studio album, Wishbone. Along with the single, Conan released a beautiful music video filmed in his home state of Texas, featuring co-star Corey Fogelmanis, a close friend of Conan’s. The music video follows the characters Will and Bran as they continue to navigate their relationship.
Conan Gray’s announcement of another album was a surprise to many fans, considering he only released his third studio album, Found Heaven, last year. In an Instagram post made on May 22nd announcing the new album, Conan told fans that the album was a surprise to him as well. The songs were secretly written with no plans to be released, but at some point, Conan felt like he needed them to be. When recording the songs with his producer, Dan Nigro, he said, “I didn’t know why I was recording, I just was. I didn’t know what story I was telling, I was living it. Slowly, I started to see myself in full picture. The slivers of myself I’d always been, but never faced. The songs I’d always been writing, but never singing. Before I knew it I was surrounded by an album.” The album announcement was accompanied by a debut single, “This Song,” which immediately became a smash hit.
Conan announced the second single, “Vodka Cranberry,” a month later, releasing it on July 11th. Three days before release, Conan Gray performed the entire song live at the Open’er Festival in Poland. A set from Conan at Open’er Festival was unexpected, as it was only announced two weeks before the performance. At some point during his set, Conan was offered a vodka cranberry from a fan in the crowd, which gave him a perfect leeway into the song.
With the new album, Wishbone, Conan has given fans not only music, but also a story. The story of Will and Bran started with the “This Song” music video, where we learn about Will’s love for Bran. The music video ends with some kisses shared between the two, setting the stage for the “Vodka Cranberry” music video. The second music video begins with scenes parallel to “This Song.” Over the scenes are some spoken lines, where Will, Conan’s character, says, “He’s been different, said he’s just sad summer’s over. I can’t believe how much time we’ve wasted. I wish it could just be us for a little bit longer.”
Conan continues to paint the story of Will and Bran with the lyrics of the song, as he names specific anecdotes and dates. He sings in the pre-chorus, “sounds the same as the time we took a break / February fourth to the sixteenth of May / so it’s strange to be back at your place / pretending like nothing has changed.” The lyrics of the song are fresh, almost as if Conan wrote them in his mind while he was experiencing it. It brings the story of Will and Bran to life. The chorus is a full expression of emotion, as Conan sings, “Speak up, I know you hate me / Looked at your picture and cried like a baby / Speak up, don’t leave me waiting / Got way too drunk off the vodka cranberry.” He continues to spiral, as the chorus continues with “Called you up in the middle of the night / Wailing like an imbecile / If you won’t end things / Then I will.” This part of the chorus continues to ramp up until the bridge, where Conan continues to sing “I will” over and over again until he sings the octave up. It almost sounds like he is begging for someone to hear him sing it.
Although both music videos appear very similar, there are subtle nuances that really tell the story. As the “Vodka Cranberry” music video continues, Bran starts to get more distant from Will. Simple scenes like Bran smoking alone outside, him pulling away from Will’s touch, and ignoring Will in public lead up to the final moment. During the final chorus, Will and Bran seem to be spending the night together, until Bran leaves him there with tears in his eyes. The music video ends with Will walking outside the next morning, looking and calling out for Bran.
Leaving us on that cliffhanger, many are hoping that this is not the end of the story. With Wishbone coming out in less than a month, fans are hoping that the album will give us more story elements. With 10 more songs to hear from the album, it seems hopeful that we will see more of Will and Bran in the future.
Loudspeaker Collective 