Just because you’re a successful musician yourself, doesn’t mean you can’t fangirl or fanboy over your peers from time to time. And for 21-year-old sad-boy-pop sensation Conan Gray, time to time means whenever he gets the chance. Frequently calling Taylor Swift his “number one” and “songwriting icon” he’s kept it no secret that he’s been a superfan of the superstar since the day he left the womb. ‘Teardrops On My Guitar’ from Swift’s 2006 debut album was the first music video Gray ever watched on YouTube. He listens to ‘1989’ every single day. He’s consistently covering her songs from ‘Love Story’ to ‘Lover’. And last year she was Gray’s #1 most-listened-to artist on Spotify, proving that he is well and truly a massive Swiftie.
lover :,) @taylorswift13 pic.twitter.com/KZknYBJBFi
— conan gray (@conangray) August 29, 2019
Gray told People Magazine, “I feel like there’s a weird taboo where you’re not really supposed to say how obsessed you are with people, but I am obsessed with her. I love her so much. I love her music. I love her lyricism. I love how she’s handled her career. She’s just such a f*cking boss. I grew up listening to her music since I was nine years old. I feel like she shaped me so much as a person.” Swift’s songwriting strengths and creative storytelling can be felt in Gray’s own work.
Like us, you’ve probably had Conan Gray’s ‘Wish You Were Sober’ on repeat since it came out, and guess what… so has Miss Americana herself (casual right?!). The track is the latest single from his impeccable debut album ‘Kid Krow’ which dropped on April 3rd. Swift posted about the song on her Instagram story, literally bringing him to tears. Gray has already formed a stellar lineup of cheerleaders in the likes of Troye Sivan, Halsey, Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish, and BTS but a nod from his day one hero is a complete full-circle moment.
Y’ALL. OH MY GOD.@taylorswift13 THANK YOU FOR BEING MY LIFELONG SONGWRITING INSPIRATION AND ICON.
I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE YOU RAISED ME BOTH AS A WRITER AND A HUMAN AND I CANNOT EXPRESS IN WORDS HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME ❤️
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. SWIFTY FOR LIFE. https://t.co/AvfbOMGz3F
— conan gray (@conangray) March 26, 2020
Taylor wrote a message alongside a screenshot of the song saying, “Obsessed with this whole album. But this song right here is a masterpiece. Not trying to be loud but this will be on repeat for my whole life. Volume all the way up.” Be as loud as you want Taylor, because we are here for it! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having your hero show you love right back, let alone praise for your own work. Now Gray has experienced this magic for himself.
In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Gray talked about how much the moment meant to him; “She’s my number one above all. She’s just my songwriting icon, and I’ll never understand how she does what she does. She’s just amazing… I literally lost my mind. She DM’d me afterward. She was so, so sweet. She told me that my album was perfect, which I was like, ‘Taylor, that’s all you need to say. I can die now.'”
i luv miss taylor swift
— conan gray (@conangray) August 17, 2019
Rapidly responding to Swift whilst he knew she was online, Gray wrote back a detailed message that he hoped would help her understand how much she and her music meant to him. “I wrote a paragraph so f*cking fast. There’s so many things that I’d wanted to say to Taylor Swift my whole entire life,” he said. “She raised me. I just said everything I needed to say and I was like, ‘Bye’. She’s just incredible,” he continued. “What do you even say to Taylor Swift after she just tells you that your album is good? I don’t know. You just say, ‘Thanks. You’re literally perfect.'” To top it off, a week later Swift gave him another shoutout. This time on her SiriusXM Hits 1 N’ Chill radio takeover by introducing his hit song ‘Maniac.’
Taylor Swift has always been known for championing fellow artists, whether it’s via social media, a cheeky collab, bringing them out as special guests or asking them to open up for her on her world tours. Now that Conan Gray is on her radar, he may just get to tick off more of these bucket-list moments.
Listen to Conan Gray’s debut album Kid Krow below!
