Conan Gray has been on a tear for a couple years now, but after the release of his debut album Kid Krow last year right before the advent of COVID-19 and quarantine, the pop star has been in a holding pattern until he can get back to doing what he does best — grace stages. In the meantime, he’s released a couple of singles to help tide fans over, the most recent being “Overdrive,” an arena-ready pop anthem accompanied by a joyride video that only makes sense during a time when one of the only ways to get out of the house is to go cruise (at least if you live in a car city, sorry New York).
Switching gears tonight for another new track, “Astronomy” is a tender, slow ballad that walks through the unraveling of a relationship that is coming to a close. Although he’s often working in a high-key, celebratory tone, Gray has made it clear he can do downtempo just as well, with previous tracks like “The Story” (not a Brandi Carlile cover) that covers how bullying and closeting can lead to suicide and heartbreak. “Astronomy” isn’t quite as heartbreaking as that one, but it comes close. Listen to the new song above and look out for a video coming later on.