On Feb. 19, the opening night of Conan Gray’s “Wishbone World Tour,” fans excitedly awaited a confirmed setlist. A setlist was leaked a few weeks prior to opening night, however no one knew how accurate it truly was. Through the concert, everything seemed accurate, until it was time for Gray’s hit single “This Song.” Instead, Gray announced that he was going to sing an unreleased song.
“I was definitely upset about him cutting ‘This Song’ from the setlist. I love all of his music, but for him to cut one of the only happy songs hurt a bit.” said Abby Murray, a fan who attended the Feb. 27 concert in Newark, New Jersey. “However, him substituting ‘The Best’ was an interesting and unique addition that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, I really did enjoy the song.”
Due to it being unreleased, Gray performed the song with lyrics behind him, encouraging fans to learn the lyrics and sing along. He continued to do this throughout the entire tour, which is currently on a break, yet is set to resume in May. As the tour continued, fans were able to learn more of the lyrics, since videos went viral on TikTok. However, fans struggled since the song was unreleased.
“When I saw the video from the first night, I fell in love with the song,” said an anonymous fan. “I really wanted to learn the lyrics but it was hard because it wasn’t on Spotify. We had to watch the video every time.” Fans struggled with learning the lyrics until on March 21, Gray announced that “The Best” would be released on March 27, and the rest of the deluxe album was set to release on April 24. This deluxe album is said to include “The Best,” as well as four additional unnamed songs.
“Over the past year of releasing and touring Wishbone, I felt like there were a few last things I wanted to say. Some pages left to turn. Some wishes left to be made,” said Gray in an Instagram post. “So I hid away in my bedroom, venue basements, hotels, and wrote Wishbone Deluxe. These songs are not ‘songs that didn’t make the album’. They’re all new songs written after Wishbone, feelings I could only reach in the aftermath of the album’s release.”
As soon as “The Best” was released, fans immediately gave it the proper listen that it deserved, hearing metaphors and lyrics that they couldn’t fully hear live. While the removal of “This Song” initially disappointed some fans, the introduction of “The Best” created a new kind of experience, one that evolved throughout the tour and extended beyond the stage.
As Gray continues his “Wishbone World Tour,” moments like this highlight how live performances can shift, surprise, and ultimately deepen the connection between an artist and their audience.
