Meet The New Crown Prince Of Sad Songs

EVERY GENERATION has its Bright Eyes, and for Gen Z, one of the leading contenders is 23-year-old singer Conan Gray, whose knack for writing sad music has turned him into one of the most popular young stars in the world.

- Willa Bennett

His parents split up when he was three, although they stayed in proximity to one another to raise their children. The Grays moved all over the place—including two years in Japan shortly after Conan was born—before settling in Georgetown, Texas, a quiet suburb known for its booming community of retirees. “All the thrift stores were awesome,” Gray tells me over coffee in Manhattan. “I just love dressing like an old man who’s on a walk with his wife of 70 years.”