Heather (Conan Gray song)

"Heather" is a song by American singer-songwriter Conan Gray released through Republic Records. Originally released as a track on Gray's debut studio album Kid Krow in March 2020, it was released as the sixth single in September 2020 after becoming a sleeper hit. "Heather" was written by Gray and produced by Dan Nigro with additional production by Jam City.

"Heather"
Single by Conan Gray
from the album Kid Krow
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2020
Genre
Length3:18
Label
Songwriter(s)Conan Gray
Producer(s)
Conan Gray singles chronology
"Wish You Were Sober"
(2020)		 "Heather"
(2020)		 "Fake"
(2020)
Music video
"Heather" on YouTube

The song gained popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok, consequently spawning the meme-like titular phrase which one can use to describe a "beautiful girl"[2] which one aspires to look like.[3][4] Commercially, "Heather" debuted at number 61 and rose to number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, being his first entry on the chart.[5] Elsewhere, the song gave Gray his first single chart entry in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and his second entry in countries such as Australia, Ireland and Lithuania. "Heather" has become Gray's most commercially successful single to date, surpassing "Maniac", which achieved international mainstream hit radio success earlier that year.

Background and release

Initially released as part of the album in March 2020, it was re-released as the album's sixth and final single amid its popularization in August 2020. Gray announced the music video a day before its imminent release on August 20.[6]

Composition and lyrics

On Apple Music Editor's Notes under Gray's album Kid Krow, Gray writes that "'Heather' is the song on the album that I always cry to. I think it's the most honest recount of my love life at the moment. It's about a girl named Heather—I think everyone has a Heather in their life. The person that I really, really liked was in love with Heather. They were not in love with me, and because of that, I f**king hated Heather. I hated Heather with all of my heart and soul. I had no reason to hate Heather. Heather is a perfectly nice girl. She's sweet and she's pure and she smells like daisies—she's perfect, but I hate her. It's this humiliating thing to admit, but it's just true. I'm scared to see how people are going to react, because it isn't a good thing to think something like that, but I also think it's something that I've never really heard anyone admit. I'm sorry, Heather. You're a wonderful person."[7]

During an interview on the Late Late Show with James Corden, Conan Gray confided that he was hesitant to release the song, because he thought people would criticize him for hating someone who did nothing wrong. Instead, the general reaction of the media was positive. Many people, over social media, admitted that they felt the same way about someone.

Critical reception
Sir Elton John praised Gray for being able to independently write a commercially successful, "proper song"[8]

Carolyn Droke of Uproxx wrote that Gray "spotlights his vulnerable songwriting" on the song, referring specifically to an acoustic version uploaded to YouTube in July 2020.[9] Piper Westrom of Riff wrote, "Gray's fearlessness when addressing sensitive subjects such as [unrequited romantic interest from male heterosexual friends] on his debut album show a bravery that someone so young does not always show so early in his career."[10]

While reviewing Gray's debut album, Jonathan Pertile of The Chronicle compared "Heather" to works of Taylor Swift and Lorde, declaring that: "Much like his idol Taylor Swift, Conan Gray excels in writing lyrics that are hauntingly relatable despite their specificity. Compare 'All Too Well,' one of Swift’s best songs, to Conan’s gut-punch of a track, 'Heather.' Both feature a misplaced article of clothing (Swift, a stolen scarf; Gray, a polyester sweater) to drive home the pain of an impossible relationship. On 'Heather,' Gray even sneaks in a homage to Lorde by copying the eerie first three notes of 'Still Sane,' a track from her 2013 album Pure Heroine."[11]

Sir Elton John showed his admiration for Gray in an interview with BBC Radio 6, saying "There's a boy called Conan Gray who has a song called 'Heather' and he's about 22, he's from America and he's the only person in the [streaming charts] to actually write the song without anybody else. Everybody else there's four or five writers on [a track]. You look at most of the records in the charts — they're not real songs. They're bits and pieces and it's nice to hear someone write a proper song."[8]

Music video

On August 19, 2020, Conan Gray released a teaser for the music video set to release the following day.[6][12] The official music video premiered on August 20, 2020. In the video, directed by Dillon Matthew and Conan Gray, it shows Gray reflecting on himself trying to become the idolized "Heather."[13] Critics described the video as "an intimate visualization" of Gray as he "fluctuates between feminine and masculine beauty standards."[14][15] Rania Aniftos of Billboard described the video as "thought-provoking".[2]

Charts
Chart performance for "Heather"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 13
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[17] 2
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[18] 28
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 26
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[20] 43
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 13
Global 200 (Billboard)[22] 20
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[23] 31
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 12
Lithuania (AGATA)[25] 26
Malaysia (RIM)[26] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 48
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 13
Norway (VG-lista)[29] 21
Portugal (AFP)[30] 28
Scotland (OCC)[31] 55
Singapore (RIAS)[32] 2
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[33] 48
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 41
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 79
UK Singles (OCC)[36] 17
US Billboard Hot 100[37] 46
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[38] 29
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[39] 30
US Rolling Stone Top 100[40] 20

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[41] Platinum 80,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] Gold 15,000
Poland (ZPAV)[43] Gold 10,000
Portugal (AFP)[44] Gold 5,000
United States (RIAA)[45] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various March 20, 2020
Republic [7]
United Kingdom September 4, 2020 Contemporary hit radio Island [46]
Italy September 25, 2020 [47]

References
  1. Copsey, Rob (24 August 2020). "Conan Gray's Heather set to make Top 40 debut on Official UK Singles Chart this week". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  2. Aniftos, Rania (August 21, 2020). "Conan Gray Transforms Into the Girl His Crush Loves in Thought-Provoking 'Heather' Video". Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  3. Travis, Abi (August 17, 2020). "Who Is This Heather Person Everyone Keeps Talking About on TikTok?". Distractify. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. Mather, Katie (18 August 2020). "What TikTokers really mean when they call each other a 'Heather'". In The Know. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  5. McIntyre, Hugh (August 30, 2020). "Miley Cyrus, Drake And Conan Gray: 5 Important Moves On This Week's Hot 100". Forbes. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  6. conan gray [@conangray] (August 20, 2020). "heather music video tomorrow" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. "Kid Krow - Album by Conan Gray on Apple Music". Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via Apple Music.
  8. Rice, Nicholas (August 28, 2020). "Elton John Critiques Music of Today as He Says Songs on the Charts 'Isn't Real Music'". People. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  9. Droke, Carolyn (July 15, 2020). "Conan Gray's Acoustic 'Heather' Displays His Vulnerable Songwriting". Uproxx. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  10. Westrom, Piper (March 17, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Conan Gray holds nothing back on 'Kid Krow'". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  11. Pertile, Jonathan (March 27, 2020). "Derivative? Who cares. 'Kid Krow' is great anyway". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  12. Atad, Corey (August 20, 2020). "Conan Gray Releases Sensual New Video For 'Heather'". ET Canada. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  13. "Conan Gray - Heather (Official Music Video)". YouTube. August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  14. Droke, Carolyn (August 20, 2020). "Conan Gray Comes To Terms With Unrequited Love In His 'Heather' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  15. India, Roby (August 20, 2020). "Conan Gray Talks Unrequited Love in 'Heather'". VMan. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  16. "Australian-charts.com – Conan Gray – Heather". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  17. "Ultratop.be – Conan Gray – Heather" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  18. "Ultratop.be – Conan Gray – Heather" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  19. "Conan Gray Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202037 into search. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  21. "Conan Gray: Heather" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  22. "Conan Gray Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  23. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  24. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  25. "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 21, 2020.
  26. "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles In Malaysia". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  27. "Dutchcharts.nl – Conan Gray – Heather" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  28. "Charts.nz – Conan Gray – Heather". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  29. "Norwegiancharts.com – Conan Gray – Heather". VG-lista. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  30. "Portuguesecharts.com – Conan Gray – Heather". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  31. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  32. "RIAS International Top Charts Week 34". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on August 25, 2020.
  33. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202037 into search. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  34. "Swedishcharts.com – Conan Gray – Heather". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  35. "Swisscharts.com – Conan Gray – Heather". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  36. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  37. "Conan Gray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  38. "Conan Gray Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  39. "Conan Gray Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  40. "Top 100 Songs, August 21, 2020 - August 27, 2020". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  41. "Canadian single certifications – Conan Gray – Heather". Music Canada. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  42. "New Zealand single certifications – Conan Gray – Heather". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  43. "Polish single certifications – Conan Gray – Heather" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  44. "Portuguese single certifications – Conan Gray – Heather" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  45. "American single certifications – Conan Gray – Heather". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 5, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  46. "BBC - Radio 1 Playlist". bbc.co.uk. September 4, 2020. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  47. "Conan Gray - Heather (Radio Date: 25-09-2020)". EarOne. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
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