‘A wishbone never breaks evenly’: Conan Gray releases deluxe edition of his fourth studio album

Conan Gray’s “Wishbone Deluxe” captures the quiet, reflective aftermath of heartbreak, shifting away from the emotional chaos of his original album.

“The first time something happens it’s super heightened and a really dramatic feeling but by the end of it you’re just over it,” Gray said.

That single quote explains the emotional difference between “Wishbone” and “Wishbone Deluxe” better than any review could. While the standard album was written in the middle of heartbreak, full of anger and emotional chaos, the deluxe edition exists in the aftermath, when the sadness is quieter, more reflective and somehow harder to escape.

“I was in a rush when writing ‘Wishbone’ standard because I needed to get it out my system because I was so hurt,” Gray said. “I wanted people to hear what I went through.”

That urgency defined the original album. “Wishbone” was loud, dramatic and emotionally explosive because Gray had not fully processed what happened yet. But “Wishbone Deluxe” exists after the anger faded. The sadness is still there, but now it is quieter, softer and somehow even more devastating.

Gray described the deluxe tracks as “much more darker but grounded and a lot softer.” That difference becomes obvious immediately.

The emotional bridge between the two albums starts with “Care,” the final track on standard “Wishbone.” Gray spends the song trying to convince both himself and the listener that he has moved on. “I’m not trying to say that I want you back,” he sings before immediately contradicting himself with, “It’s nice to linger in the past.”

Even at the supposed ending of the album, Gray still sounds emotionally stuck. He later admitted, “At the end of ‘Care’ I keep telling you I’m over you and I’m over it all but I still really care deep down.”

Because of these unresolved feelings, that is how “Wishbone Deluxe” formed. The deluxe edition quietly follows the stages of grief for somebody who is still alive.

Opening the deluxe is “Do I dare?,” representing denial. The song feels like putting a bandage on a wound but taking it off too early in the healing process. Gray repeats the title in the song, turning the simple question into a spiral of anxiety, just like the feeling of reaching out to someone who hurt you badly. A standout lyric is, “If I befriend you, Will I crash?” That perfectly describes the question of whether it is better to be friends or to be nothing. Gray knows the relationship ended, but he still wants to hold onto the soft and warm parts of it.

“The House That Always Rains” pushes the album deeper into depression. Gray sings, “Every room leaks your memory,” comparing heartbreak to living inside a home permanently damaged by storms. The song feels emotionally suffocating, but never dramatic. Instead of screaming, Gray sounds exhausted. That restraint makes the sadness hit harder because it feels real. This is not fresh heartbreak anymore; this is the kind that lingers for months after everybody expects you to move on.

Acceptance arrives in “Door,” which becomes one of the album’s clearest moments of reluctant realization. Gray sings, “You closed the door so softly I almost thought you’d come back.” The lyric captures the false hope people cling to after relationships end. The breakup was not explosive enough to fully destroy hope, which somehow makes it harder to recover from.

Still, grief is never linear, which is where “Moths” comes in. The standout lyric, “I still fly toward you anyway,” compares toxic attachment to moths repeatedly burning themselves against light. Gray understands the relationship hurt him, yet emotionally, he keeps returning to it. The song perfectly captures the emotional relapse stage of heartbreak, when people revisit memories they know will only damage them further.

Then comes “The Best,” the emotional climax and reflection of the deluxe edition. Instead of attacking the other person like parts of “Wishbone” did, Gray finally reflects on his own mistakes. “I’d take back all the shit that I said when I was so pissed when you left,” he sings, sounding regretful rather than angry.

“Singing ‘The Best’ live and knowing this deluxe was coming, it felt so weird,” Gray said. “Writing ‘Wishbone’ was when I was really in the midst of all of it but after releasing the album and now writing the deluxe it changed my perspective on all of it.”

That emotional maturity is what makes “Wishbone Deluxe” stand out. Gray no longer treats heartbreak like a battle with winners and losers. Instead, he acknowledges the damage both people caused.

“People mess up and we’re all human and you really hurt someone’s feelings without wanting to,” he said.

By the end of the album, Gray still cares, but now he sounds exhausted by caring. That is what makes “Wishbone Deluxe” so heartbreaking. It understands that sometimes moving on is not empowering or cinematic. Sometimes it is just becoming tired of hurting.

“At the end of the deluxe I still care but I just really want to move on and be done,” Gray said. “I don’t want to care and I want it to be over.”

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