Wish You Were Sober

"Wish You Were Sober" is a song by American singer-songwriter Conan Gray. It was released on March 18, 2020 by Republic Records as the fifth single from his debut studio album Kid Krow. The song was written by Conan Gray and Dan Nigro.

"Wish You Were Sober"
Single by Conan Gray
from the album Kid Krow
ReleasedMarch 18, 2020
Genre
Length2:48
LabelRepublic Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dan Nigro
Conan Gray singles chronology
"The Story"
(2020)		 "Wish You Were Sober"
(2020)		 "Heather"
(2020)
Music video
"Wish You Were Sober" on YouTube

Background

The song addresses the mistakes of Gray's teenage years, and acknowledges that "moments from young adult life aren't always remembered."[2] The song focuses on a specific incident where Gray's love interest would confess their love for him whilst "black out drunk".[3] The song was described as "the most straightforward pop song" on the album,[4] and was praised by E! for its "confessional lyrics and the excellent alt-pop production."[5]

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Wish You Were Sober" was first released on YouTube on March 20, 2020. The video was directed by BRUME.[6] The video was released with the album and gained over 400 thousand views in 48 hours.[7][8]

Composition and lyrics

On Apple Music Editor's Notes under Gray's album Kid Krow, Gray writes that "It's ["Wish You Were Sober"] a song that I ended up sticking on the album last minute ’cause it was so much fun when I was making it. I wrote it about this person who I really, really liked and I wrote a lot of songs on my album about them and they just wouldn't tell me that they liked me back or would never tell me their true feelings unless they were blackout drunk. It was a weird, bittersweet feeling, because on one side you're thinking, ‘Yay, they like me and they have feelings for me and they like me back.’ On the other side you're thinking, ‘Why can't you tell me this when you're sober? Why can't you tell me this in daylight?’ I think the song is about all those mixed emotions and all the craziness behind being young and getting super drunk and calling someone and telling them that you love them.”[9]

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the lyrics and production.

"Wish You Were Sober" received praise and a shout out from singer Taylor Swift.[10]

Taylor Swift praised Gray's "Wish You Were Sober" on her Instagram story claiming that it was her favorite song off Gray's debut album. Swift stated “Obsessed with this whole album. but this song ["Wish You Were Sober"] right here is a masterpiece. Not trying to be loud but this will be on repeat for my whole life. Volume all the way up.”[11]

Helen Ehrlich from Affinity Magazine declared that "'Wish You Were Sober' is the song that plays in a coming of age film after the main character completely claims their identity. 'Wish You Were Sober' is the sensation of bursting out of a party, onto the front porch and out into the cool night. 'Wish You Were Sober' is a breath of fresh air."[12]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[13]

  • Dan Nigro – producer, composer, lyricist, associated performer, bass, drum programming, electric guitar, engineer, keyboards, mix engineer, studio personnel, synthesizer
  • Conan Gray – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist, vocals
  • Serban Ghenea – mixer, studio personnel
  • John Hanes – studio personnel

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[14] 14

Certifications
Certifications for "Wish You Were Sober"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[15] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format Label
United States March 18, 2020
Republic Records

References
  1. Nilles, Billy (March 20, 2020). "The MixtapE! Presents The Weeknd, Kelsea Ballerini, Halsey and More New Music Musts". E! News. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  2. Westrom, Piper (March 17, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Conan Gray holds nothing back on 'Kid Krow'". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  3. "Conan Gray releases anti-party anthem 'Wish You Were Sober'". DIY. March 19, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  4. Murphy, Sam (March 19, 2020). "A Track-By-Track First Impression Of Conan Gray's 'Kid Krow'". The Interns. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. Nilles, Billy (March 20, 2020). "The MixtapE! Presents The Weeknd, Kelsea Ballerini, Halsey and More New Music Musts". E! News. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  6. "Conan Gray - Wish You Were Sober (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  7. "Conan Gray's New Music Video For 'Wish You Were Sober' Is Finally Here & We Fkn Love It | MTV". MTV Australia. March 23, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  8. Conan Gray Achievements [@grayachievement] (March 22, 2020). ""Wish You Were Sober" Music Video has reached +400k views on YouTube!! Keeping watching. #WishYouWereSober" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. "Kid Krow - Album by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via Apple Music.
  10. Tilchen, Jordyn (April 7, 2020). "Conan Gray 'freaked' when Taylor Swift complimented his debut album". MTV. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  11. Kubrick, Katelyn (March 27, 2020). "This is how Conan Gray reacted to the recognition of Taylor Swift". Somag News. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  12. Ehrlich, Helen (March 18, 2020). "Conan Gray Drops Surprise Single, 'Wish You Were Sober' – An Analysis & Review". Affinity Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  13. "Credits / Wish You Were Sober / Conan Gray – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  14. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 30, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  15. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
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