Break out the heart-shaped sunglasses and tissues, Conan Gray is back with another tearjerker of a love story, and this time, it’s dipped in sun-drenched queerness and shimmering heartbreak. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter has announced his next single, “Vodka Cranberry,” arriving Friday, July 11, and the teaser alone has fans already spinning with emotions.
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A Queer Cinematic Moment
The teaser clip for “Vodka Cranberry” opens like a scene from a coming-of-age indie film. Conan pulls up to a serene lake in a car, gazing longingly at the boy standing in front of it—played by actor Corey Fogelmanis (best known for Ma and the recent queer coming-of-age film I Wish You All The Best).
Then, over a soft string arrangement, Conan’s voice begins a reflective narration:
“Summer was almost over. I was in love with him. More than he knew. More than even I knew. He was standing right in front of me. I missed him already.”
It’s brief, but in classic Conan fashion, the atmosphere is rich with longing, unsaid words, and the aching beauty of youth. Fans are already calling it a queer summer anthem in the making, and it hasn’t even dropped yet.
Part of the Upcoming Wishbone Era
“Vodka Cranberry” is the third track on Wishbone, Conan’s upcoming album, out August 15. The record follows 2024’s Found Heaven and was written largely in secret during stolen moments on tour, between shows, and in quiet spaces that offered reflection.
“It felt like the music was reminding me who I am,” Conan shared in a statement. “At an experimental time in my twenties where ‘who I am’ had no definition at all.”
Teaming up again with producer Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan), Gray allowed the album to take shape naturally. “I didn’t know what story I was telling, I was just living in it,” he added.
The 12-track album promises more of Conan’s signature vulnerability and lyrical storytelling, with tracks like “Romeo,” “Nauseous,” and “Connell” already piquing curiosity. If “Vodka Cranberry” is any indication, Wishbone might just be his most personal, and queerest, work yet.
“Vodka Cranberry” Could Be the Queer Song of the Summer
With a title like “Vodka Cranberry,” the single is already channeling the essence of gay bar nostalgia and summer romance. And if the teaser is anything to go by, this will be the kind of song you put on repeat while daydreaming about a crush you only spoke to once at a lake house in July.
Get ready to cry in the club, or by the lake, when the full single drops July 11. And stay tuned for Wishbone, out August 15, which promises even more of Conan Gray’s beautiful, messy, identity-searching magic.
