Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Conan Gray
How Conan Gray built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Conan Gray is an American singer and songwriter, notable for his beginnings as a popular YouTuber. Growing up in Texas, he gained an audience by posting vlogs, covers, and original music. His early success led to a record deal with Republic Records in 2018, which subsequently released his debut EP, Sunset Season. Gray's career exemplifies the modern path of artists utilizing online platforms to launch their music careers.
2013: Official YouTube Channel Creation
In 2013, Conan Gray created his official YouTube channel and began making videos at age 15.
2016: Publishing "The Other Side" on YouTube
On the eve of the first day of his senior year of high school, Conan Gray originally published the single "The Other Side" on YouTube in 2016, before re-releasing it in February 2019.
March 2017: Release of "Idle Town"
In March 2017, Conan Gray self-released his debut single, "Idle Town".
September 1, 2017: Release of "Grow"
On September 1, 2017, Conan Gray self-released his second single, "Grow".
September 2017: Move to Los Angeles for UCLA
In September 2017, Conan Gray moved to Los Angeles, California, after being accepted to UCLA. However, he dropped out after only three months to begin touring after he was signed to Republic Records.
October 2018: Release of "Generation Why"
In October 2018, Conan Gray released the single "Generation Why" on Republic Records.
November 2018: Release of Sunset Season EP
In November 2018, Conan Gray released the five-track EP Sunset Season, including the songs "Idle Town", "Generation Why", "Crush Culture", "Greek God", and "Lookalike".
2018: Camila Cabello self-titled album release
Camila Cabello released her self-titled album in 2018, it was the top pop solo debut album release in over two years, before Kid Krow was released in 2020.
2018: Signing with Republic Records and releasing Sunset Season
In 2018, Conan Gray signed a record deal with Republic Records. Republic Records subsequently released his debut EP, Sunset Season in 2018.
February 2019: Late-Night TV Debut and Pray for the Wicked Tour
In February 2019, Conan Gray made his late-night television debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers, before performing several shows as an opening act on Panic! at the Disco's Pray for the Wicked Tour. He also re-released his single "The Other Side" after originally publishing it on YouTube in 2016.
October 2019: Comfort Crowd Tour and Catalog Streams
In October 2019, Conan Gray embarked on the Comfort Crowd Tour, his second headlining tour of North America. As of October 2019, Gray's catalog had gained over 250 million streams across all platforms collectively.
January 9, 2020: Announcement of Kid Krow and Release of "The Story"
On January 9, 2020, Conan Gray revealed the title of his debut album, Kid Krow, and released "The Story" on the same day.
March 20, 2020: Release of Kid Krow
On March 20, 2020, Conan Gray released Kid Krow, which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200. It was the biggest new artist debut of 2020 in the US as of March.
August 2020: Popularity of "Heather" on TikTok
In August 2020, the song "Heather" became popular on TikTok, becoming Kid Krow's sixth and final single and Gray's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
October 2020: Performances and Release of "Fake"
In October 2020, Conan Gray performed "Heather" on both The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Today Show. He also released the single "Fake" with Lauv.
2020: Release and Debut of Kid Krow
In 2020, Conan Gray's album Kid Krow debuted at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200. This was the biggest U.S. artist debut of the year, 2020.
May 2021: Release of "Astronomy"
In May 2021, Conan Gray released the single "Astronomy".
January 2022: Release of "Jigsaw"
In January 2022, Conan Gray released the single "Jigsaw".
April 11, 2022: Announcement of Superache Album Release
On April 11, 2022, Conan Gray announced that his second album Superache would be released on June 24, 2022.
April 15, 2022: Release of "Memories"
On April 15, 2022, Conan Gray released the song "Memories" as part of the Superache album rollout.
April 2022: Surprise Appearance on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour Tour
In April 2022, Conan Gray appeared as a surprise guest on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour Tour in Vancouver and they did a cover of the Katy Perry song, "The One That Got Away".
June 24, 2022: Superache Album Release
On June 24, 2022, Conan Gray's album Superache was released, along with the video for the single "Disaster". He also announced his fourth concert tour, the Superache Tour.
September 2022: Start of the Superache Tour
The Superache Tour started in September 2022, and it ran until March 2023.
2022: Release and Debut of Superache
In 2022, Conan Gray's second studio album, Superache, debuted in the top 10 in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
May 2023: Teasers and Release of "Never Ending Song"
In May 2023, Conan Gray began posting teasers featuring images of grocery stores across his social media, which were revealed to be in reference to the setting of a new music video that was released on May 19, accompanying the single "Never Ending Song".
January 31, 2024: Announcement of Found Heaven Album
On January 31, 2024, Conan Gray announced his third studio album titled Found Heaven, which was released on April 5, as well as "Lonely Dancers", the album's fourth single.
July 2024: Found Heaven On Tour
In July 2024, Conan Gray embarked on his fifth headlining concert tour, Found Heaven On Tour, to support his album Found Heaven.
October 18, 2024: Release of "Holidays"
On October 18, 2024, Conan Gray released the single "Holidays" after first playing the song during the Found Heaven tour at Madison Square Garden. The song chronicles his experiences returning to his hometown in Texas for the holiday season.
2024: Release and Debut of Found Heaven
In 2024, Conan Gray released his third studio album, Found Heaven, which debuted at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
January 2025: Governors Ball Music Festival Announcement
In January 2025, Conan Gray was announced as part of the lineup for the Governors Ball Music Festival, signaling the beginning of a new promotional cycle.
March 19, 2025: Surprise Release of Kid Krow, Decomposed
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Conan Gray surprise-released Kid Krow, Decomposed, a fifth-anniversary edition of his debut album Kid Krow. This edition featured a hand-drawn alternate cover by Gray, and featured three bonus tracks: an unreleased song titled "Bed Rest", and live versions of "The Cut That Always Bleeds" and "Heather", both recorded during Found Heaven on Tour.
May 22, 2025: Announcement of Wishbone Album
On May 22, 2025, Conan Gray announced his fourth studio album, Wishbone, set for release on Friday, August 15, 2025. The announcement included the reveal of the album's artwork and a short teaser video.
May 29, 2025: Announcement of Wishbone Pajama Show Tour
On May 29, 2025, Conan Gray announced a tour for Wishbone titled the Wishbone Pajama Show that will last from September to October 2025 and will feature Hemlocke Springs as the opening act.
May 30, 2025: Release of "This Song"
On May 30, 2025, Conan Gray released the lead single, titled "This Song" from his upcoming album Wishbone.
July 11, 2025: Release of "Vodka Cranberry"
On July 11, 2025, Conan Gray released the second single, "Vodka Cranberry", which appears as the album's third track, from his upcoming album Wishbone.
August 15, 2025: Release and Chart Performance of Wishbone
On August 15, 2025, Conan Gray's fourth studio album, Wishbone, was released and became his first project to enter the top three of the Billboard 200 chart, debuting at #3.
October 2025: End of Wishbone Pajama Show Tour
The Wishbone Pajama Show Tour for Wishbone will end in October 2025.
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