“WINNER” CONAN GRAY TRACK REVIEW

BY Katherine chung (sHE/HER)

Conan Gray has won our hearts again with his new song “Winner”. Throughout August, the pop singer has been releasing snippets of the song on TikTok, gaining interest from his fans who already know his heartwrenching sound. His fans even claimed it was a song that should have been on the Heartstopper Season 2 or Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack.

“Winner” follows Conan’s first release of 2023, “Never Ending Story” which is a track that tells the beginning of a never-ending relationship. Unlike,”Never Ending Story”, “Winner” tells listeners about the aftermath of a relationship he held onto too long. It could have been a friendship or a serious relationship. Either way, someone hurt him badly and now he doesn’t have to run from them anymore since it's over.

There is no reason to run anymore. He’s finally free and wants listeners to recognize the freedom they have after accepting that the past is in the past. In the chorus, he repeats the lyrics, “Cause now there's no one/Whoever has done better/ At making me feel worse/ Now you really are the winner” to embrace the feeling of pain that he felt at age 14. It’s as if he’s talking to his enemy and handing them a ribbon or a trophy. He’s letting them go, it’s over now. They won.

"WINNER" SINGLE ART | COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

The lyrics, slow-burn melody, and soft and hard piano keys embody a sound similar to Lizzie Mcalphine’s sound. Conan is a natural-born storyteller. In several interviews, he has said that ‘he hopes this song helps people find a little piece of freedom’. His lyrics not only tell heartwrenching stories but also remind us that we are not alone. “Winner” is the gutwrenching, vulnerable song of the summer that we need to hear as a reminder to let go of the past.