Conan Gray, 'People Watching'

It's incredibly validating to hear others share thoughts that you assumed no one else saw or felt. When I heard Conan Gray's "People Watching" for the first time — a song about observing couples and self-reflecting about one's own romantic ideals — I felt an abrupt sense of empathy; maybe it's the late summer storms that will soon become autumn that has people flocking toward one another, but as Gray expresses, it seems like everyone else is in a relationship.

Produced by Dan Nigro, who also produced Olivia Rodrigo's hit album SOUR, Gray's single "People Watching" is the summer pop track for the perpetually single. Gray has an acute ability to pick up on the intimate intricacies of love while delivering a song that, sonically, is like romanticizing relationships: gradual to start, then sudden and all-consuming.

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