It’s been several months now since Conan Gray stopped by the MTV News office for a brief, yet impressive three-song set, and life for 21-year-old singer-songwriter has changed a lot since then. Last Friday (January 10), Gray announced his debut LP, Kid Krow, and also dropped his broody new song, “The Story.” Now, less than a week later, he’s back with a thought-provoking and melancholy video to match.
The music video begins with Gray wandering aimlessly before hitching a ride on the back of a pickup truck. As he walks through a seemingly abandoned town (and later, a seemingly abandoned property), he sings of all the unfair things he’s seen in this world, from the effects of bullying and self-hatred to a fear of being your 100 percent authentic self. And though he seems despondent and like he’s lost hope as he roams lonely dirt roads, he knows that it’s “not the end of the story.”
With the end of the video comes a reminder that, while it might feel like it sometimes, we are never truly alone. As more people start to appear, it becomes clear that they, too, are trying to navigate the complexities of life. And just like Gray, they are simply trying to find who it is that they really are.
Much like the song and its video, Gray said in a statement that his upcoming album “is a study of how I perceive the world.” The LP will also give fans a more in-depth look at his personal life, from life on the road to learning to accept who he is.
“I talk a lot about my friends and people I’ve met touring over the past year,” Gray added. “It’s me. I’m not the coolest person, but the album is me accepting the fact I’m weird and I don’t need to be anybody else. It’s also a chance to encourage others to embrace who they are and be unapologetic about it.”
In an Instagram post announcing Kid Krow, Gray also said that he’s excited for his fans to learn things about him that he’s never revealed before. “I say more on this album than i’ve ever said in my life and I can’t wait to tell you all of my secrets,” he wrote. “Love y’all.”
If you love “The Story” and its corresponding visual as much as we do, fear not. There’s so much more coming our way. Kid Krow will be out on March 20, and until then, we’ll likely be watching this video on repeat.
