Nine months after the release of his most popular single, “Idle Town,” Conan Gray released his debut EP Sunset Season. Based in small-town Texas, Gray proves that you can create music with nothing more than your bedroom and a mic. Gray sings from the point of view of a teenager with love troubles who are also realizing the truths of getting older. The soft beats and relatable lyrics piece together an EP that I can’t stop listening to.
Gray opens the EP with “Idle Town,” the single that originally garnered him attention, fans, and a great start to his music career. The catchy song is a tribute to his high school memories and friends. The nostalgic feel within the song is strong enough to give listeners chills and butterflies. I can’t help but think of memories such as late nights with my friends or mornings watching the sunrise. My peers described the song as “safe” and said the track brought back very distinctive memories. This will always be one of my go-to songs for when I’m feeling reminiscent.
The next song, “Generation Why,” was the first song from the EP to come out, teasing the release back in October. The upbeat, yet subtly angsty song is the musical embodiment of our teenage years. Gray talks about the harsh realities of being a teenager in modern times. The song is very relatable and an enjoyable song to listen to. I can only describe Gray’s voice as angelic. Pairing the vocals with the instrumentals, the track is a great example of what the rest of his music is like.
The third song on the EP, “Crush Culture,” seems to be a huge favorite amongst the fans. The song portrays Gray’s rage about seeing others in love but not being able to have it for himself. It’s common for single people to be upset by seeing couples who are happy and in love with each other. Conan uses his anger to make this a relatable song for all the single people out there who get a little infuriated by love sometimes. The bitterness is expressed through the lyrics, although the song itself is very soft and upbeat. You might catch yourself humming along to the tune of this song throughout the day after listening to it.
The next song, “Greek God,” is one of the more underrated tracks on the EP. The song starts off slow, but the chorus gets to a faster pace and reflects Gray’s built up anger. In my interpretation, the lyrics describe a stereotypical “enemy” or ex-friend. The song talks about how Gray isn’t going to let this person make him feel bad, as he can easily point out their flaws. When I listen to the song, the message comes off powerful and strong, and that’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to the track.
The final song, and my personal favorite on the EP, “Lookalike,” is a stunning way to end the collection of songs. The slow and sadder song contrasts with the other, more upbeat songs, but it fits into the main theme of the EP. This song is a bit more personal, but still something that a lot of people can relate to in some way. You can hear the anger in Gray’s voice, but there’s also a sad tone to it. The beats and instrumentals are beautiful and, similar to “Greek God,” it makes the song feel very powerful. The emotions this song creates left me deep in thought minutes after the song ended, which is why I think this song was a perfect end to Sunset Season. I can’t wait to see where Conan Gray’s music goes in the future. I am confident it will just keep getting better as Gray grows artistically.
Review written by Mady and edited by Amy!
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