Conan Gray’s New Single “The Best” Expands the Emotional World of Wishbone

Gray, Conan. Wishbone Deluxe. Republic Records, 2026.

With his first release of 2026, Conan Gray surprises fans with the release of his newest single, “The Best,” accompanied by the announcement of Wishbone Deluxe, featuring five new songs from the current era. After performing “The Best” on his Wishbone World Tour this year, fans were highly anticipating the release of the song, with many already knowing the lyrics due to its virality on social media.

The song discusses the long-lasting effects of a previous relationship and how these negative thoughts and feelings can completely consume your mind. Longing for closure, Gray vulnerably states, “Maybe it’s all in my mind, but I swear if I saw you tonight, we could make peace with it, not have to sleep with it, haunting me all of the time.” The first lines of the song remind us that even a bad relationship can have good moments that lead you to miss the person and question why things ended the way they did.

Lyrics like “Grew out your buzz cut, now my hair is short, nothing like it once was, when I was yours” vulnerably express that even though much time has passed since this relationship, the desire to let go of it remains difficult and runs deep. Working through all of the thoughts Gray is having internally, listeners are able to feel the heaviness of heartbreak and the struggle to move on from a relationship, no matter how much we know we need to let it go.

Through this haunting, deep pop ballad, we continue the story of the initial album Wishbone, which explores the struggles of heartbreak and queer relationships while discovering oneself during vulnerable times. The album heavily emphasizes that not all breakups are mutual, and sometimes we are left with “the short end of the stick,” leading back to the album’s title and the idea that a wishbone never breaks evenly. Rounding out the album with what Gray is known for, his deep, emotional, and vulnerable storytelling, we cannot wait to hear the remaining four bonus tracks upon their release on April 24th.