Superache

Superache is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Conan Gray, released on June 24, 2022, through Republic Records.^[6] It is a follow-up to Gray's debut album Kid Krow (2020). Described by Gray as an expansion of his yearning heartbreak, the album touches on themes such as childhood trauma, abuse, friendship, and love, as of his experiences growing up.

Superache
Studio album by Conan Gray
Released	June 24, 2022
Studio	Amusement Studios (Los Angeles, California) Cirkut City (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Pop
Length	40:22
Label	Republic
Producer	Dan Nigro Cirkut
Conan Gray chronology
Kid Krow (2020) Superache (2022) Found Heaven (2024)
Singles from Superache
"Astronomy" Released: May 7, 2021[1] "People Watching" Released: July 15, 2021[2] "Jigsaw" Released: January 21, 2022[3] "Memories" Released: April 15, 2022[4] "Yours" Released: May 19, 2022[5]

Superache was preceded by the singles "Astronomy", "People Watching", "Jigsaw", "Memories", and "Yours", while standalone singles "Overdrive" and "Telepath" were included as bonus tracks on the Japanese edition. The record been described as a pop album,^[7][8] that contain elements of dance-pop, synth-pop, and indie pop.^[9] The album was met with critical acclaim, with critics praising Gray's vocal performance, production, honest lyricism and different style compared to its predecessor.^{[10][11][12][13]} The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, with 43,000 album-equivalent units and spent twelve weeks on the chart.^[14]

Background

Gray told Tomas Mier of Rolling Stone that this album was designed to be centered around the song "Family Line" which was inspired by "childhood trauma and generational trauma [and his] rough upbringing", and the song "Best Friend" about his childhood best friend Ashley.^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100[15]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[16]
Clash	9/10[7]
NME	[8]
Rolling Stone	[17]

Superache was met with critical acclaim from music critics after its release. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a score of 81 based on 4 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[15]

Georgia Evans of NME gave the album four out of five stars, and wrote "it may be theatrical, but 'Superache' still feels deep and honest. Cut through the crescendoes and you'll find real tenderness. 'I'll just take a footnote in your life / And you could take my body / Every line I would write for you,' he sings on 'Footnote', inspired by Pride and Prejudice and the realisation that unrequited love doesn't match up to fictional romance. That's OK, though: Gray knows this kind of all-encompassing love is painful – and he's ready to feel it at full force."^[8] Gem Stokes of Clash wrote "'Superache' is a definitive evolution for Gray. A matured turn since his debut 'Kid Krow', 'Superache' continues to exemplify Gray's flair for pop bops, but with ripened introspection".^[7] Matt Collar of AllMusic wrote "Superache is a bigger, more robust record than 2020's Kid Krow, while still retaining, and in many ways expanding upon, the heartfelt diaristic qualities that made Gray such a poster child for sad Internet teens".^[16] Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone wrote "On his second album, the 23-year-old YouTuber turned pop star reveals himself to be an astute observer of the human condition, recounting everyday scenes and highlighting those split-second details in interactions that can make a warm rapport between two people transform into permafrost".^[17]

Commercial performance

Superache debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, with 43,000 album-equivalent units.^[18] It marked Gray's second consecutive entry in the top ten of the chart, following his first album, Kid Krow.

Track listing

Superache track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Movies"			3:34
2.	"People Watching"	Gray Nigro Julia Michaels		2:38
3.	"Disaster"	Gray Henry Walter Michaels	Cirkut	2:33
4.	"Best Friend"			2:28
5.	"Astronomy"			4:03
6.	"Yours"			3:24
7.	"Jigsaw"			3:28
8.	"Family Line"			3:36
9.	"Summer Child"	Gray		3:00
10.	"Footnote"			3:44
11.	"Memories"			4:08
12.	"The Exit"	Gray Nigro Michaels	Nigro Ryan Linvill[a]	3:41
Total length:				40:17

All tracks are written by Conan Gray and Dan Nigro, except where noted. All tracks are produced by Dan Nigro, except where noted

Japanese CD bonus tracks^[19]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Overdrive"	Gray Oliver Peterhof Chris Stracey The Monsters & Strangerz Tobias Jesso Jr.	Peterhof Stracey The Monsters & Strangerz Jesso	3:03
14.	"Telepath"	Gray Michaels Ilya Salmanzadeh Caroline Ailin	Ilya	3:14
Total length:				46:40

Notes

• ^{^[a]} indicates an additional producer

Personnel

Musicians

• Conan Gray – lead and background vocals (all tracks), baritone (track 3), acoustic guitar (9)
• Dan Nigro – acoustic guitar (1, 4, 5, 8–12), background vocals (1, 2, 4–12), bass (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 10, 12), drum programming (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10–12), electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12), piano (1, 2, 4–6, 8, 12), synthesizer programming (1, 6, 8, 10), percussion (2, 12), synthesizer (2), organ (6, 11), drums (7, 11), programming (7)
• Julia Michaels – background vocals (2)
• Sterling Laws – drums (2, 6)
• Ryan Linvill – programming (2, 5), bass (5, 8, 10–12), saxophone (6, 12), drum programming (8, 10), synthesizer programming (8, 12), electric guitar (11)
• Cirkut – drum programming, keyboards, synthesizer programming (3)
• Ben Romans – piano (11)
• Paul Cartwright – viola, violin (12)

Technical

• Randy Merrill – mastering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing (1–3, 11)
• Mitch McCarthy – mixing (4, 6–10, 12)
• Daniel Nigro – mixing (5), engineering (1, 2, 4–12)
• Ryan Linvill – engineering (1, 2, 4–12)
• Cirkut – engineering (3)

Artwork

• Conan Gray – creative direction, art direction, design
• Ryan Rogers – art direction
• Connor Dewhurst – design
• Brian Ziff – photography

Charts

Chart performance for Superache

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[20]	8
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21]	14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22]	14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23]	124
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24]	24
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25]	9
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[26]	43
French Albums (SNEP)[27]	150
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28]	13
Irish Albums (OCC)[29]	8
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[30]	21
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31]	11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32]	38
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[33]	21
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34]	4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35]	13
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36]	20
UK Albums (OCC)[37]	8
US Billboard 200[38]	9

Certifications

Certifications for Superache

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[39]	Gold	10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[40]	Silver	60,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Superache

Region	Date	Format	Edition	Label	Ref.
Various	June 24, 2022	Digital download streaming	Standard	Republic	[41][42]
Australia		CD			[43]
Canada					[44]
United Kingdom					[45]
United States					[46]
			Target exclusive		[47]
Japan			Bonus tracks		[19]
Canada		LP	Standard		[48]
United Kingdom					[49]
United States					[50]
			Target exclusive		[47]
			Urban Outfitters exclusive		[51]
		Cassette tape	Standard		[52]

Notes

References

1. ""Astronomy" by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Apple Music. May 7, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
2. ""People Watching" by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Apple Music. July 15, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
3. ""Jigsaw" by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Apple Music. January 21, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
4. ""Memories" by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Apple Music. April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
5. "New Music Releases May 20: Harry Styles, Hayley Kiyoko, Conan Gray, Paris Jackson and More!". www.etonline.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
6. "Superache by Conan Gray". Apple Music. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
7. "Conan Gray – Superache". Clash. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
8. Evans, Georgia (June 24, 2022). "Conan Gray – 'Superache' review: confessional pop bangers with a real sense of drama". NME. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
9. "Conan Gray still has some growing to do". Stereogum. June 27, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
10. Mier, Tomás (April 11, 2022). "Conan Gray's Second Album 'Superache' Is About That Pain That Lingers for Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
11. "Conan Gray reveals 'Superache' track list". DIY. May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
12. "Conan Gray announces new album 'Superache'". NME. April 12, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
13. Bowenbank, Starr (April 13, 2022). "Conan Gray Unveils Release Date for Sophomore Album 'Superache'". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
14. "#Superache by @ConanGray Debuts at #9 on the Billboard 200 with 43,000 Units (27,000 Pure ... – Latest Tweet by Pop Crave | 🎥 LatestLY". LatestLY. July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
15. "Critical reception of Superache". Metacritic. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
16. Collar, Matt (June 24, 2022). "Conan Gray – Superache Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
17. Johnston, Maura (June 24, 2022). "Conan Gray Has Many Many Feelings — And Manages Them Quite Impressively on 'Superache'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
18. "Bad Bunny Back at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'Un Verano Sin Ti'". Billboard. July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
19. コナン・グレイ. "スーパーエイク". Universal Music. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
20. "Australiancharts.com – Conan Gray – Superache". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
21. "Austriancharts.at – Conan Gray – Superache" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
22. "Ultratop.be – Conan Gray – Superache" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
23. "Ultratop.be – Conan Gray – Superache" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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25. "Dutchcharts.nl – Conan Gray – Superache" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
26. "Conan Gray: Superache" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
27. "Top Albums (Week 29, 2022)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
28. "Offiziellecharts.de – Conan Gray – Superache" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
29. "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
30. "2022 26-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
31. "Charts.nz – Conan Gray – Superache". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
32. "Album 2022 uke 28". VG-lista. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
33. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
34. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
35. "Top 100 Albums Weekly: 26 (24/06 a 30/06)". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
36. "Swisscharts.com – Conan Gray – Superache". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
38. "Conan Gray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
39. "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 28, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Superache in the search box.
40. "British album certifications – Conan Gray – Superache". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
41. "Superache by Conan Gray". June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
42. "Superache". Spotify. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
43. "Superache CD". Conan Gray Official AU Store. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
44. "Tableaux à gratter Zen | Archambault" (in French). Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
45. "Superache CD". Conan Gray. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
46. Conan Gray (2022). "SUPERACHE". Republic. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
47. ""Superache" (Target exclusive) by Conan Gray at Target".
48. "Superache Vinyl". Umusic. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
49. "Superache Vinyl". Conan Gray. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
50. "Superache Vinyl". Conan Gray Official Store. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
51. Conan Gray – Superache Limited LP | Urban Outfitters Retrieved June 23, 2022.
52. "Superache Cassette". Conan Gray Official Store. Retrieved June 23, 2022.