PRIOR to the release of his full-length debut studio album Kid Krow in March last year, the young and talented singer-songwriter Conan Gray tweeted: " I can't wait to tell you all of my secrets."
So has the curly-haired artiste from the United States been openly sharing his heartaches and tribulations of his young life with his listeners ever since?
"I don't know if I really want to say that. You know, like in People Watching (a single released this year), where I admit to cutting people out of my life, and stuff that I really don't want to say in front of millions of people, but I just think it's very important to be honest.
"People just aren't going to relate if you're not honest. So I try to just get over it and just deal with it," shares the 23-year-old during a virtual interview with a group of journalists from Southeast Asia.
However, since Gray is gaining popularity now, he admits it's getting difficult to be brutally honest in his songwriting.
"To be completely honest, it has gotten more difficult. I think, I feel a little shy now with so many more people looking, that sometimes I don't really want to say things the way they really are.
"But, I always get over it in the end. To avoid being self-centred I always send songs to my friends before I put them out, so that they can tell me if it is crazy or not," he shares.
Gray says releasing Kid Krow has been the most pivotal moment in his life and musical journey.
Kid Krow received critical acclaim, having debuted at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and topped the US Pop Albums Chart. It also debuted at No.2 on the Top Album Sales chart.
The album received a boost in sales and re-entered the charts of several countries when one of its tracks,
Heather, became a sleeper hit after gaining popularity on the online platform TikTok.
"It was my first real large body of work and I had no idea what people were going to think or how they were going to react.
"It taught me a lot about the type of music that I love. It comes down to the songs that I think people can relate to.
"There were so many times I went, 'Oh, I don't think people are going to relate to this, or maybe this is just a 'me' thing.'
"Maybe this is too weird for me to say, maybe I just shouldn't say. Maybe I should find a more normal way to talk about this or something."
However, Gray was relieved that when the album came out, and when the hit single
Heather connected with a lot of people.
"It was a huge realisation that many people go through the same things. Music is just a way for me to reach out to people.
"So, that's how I've handled music ever since. It's just been very interesting and weirdly humbling."
He adds: "We're all exactly the same. All of us. We're not that different at all."
Before the release of that album, Gray has been putting out singles since 2017.
His debut single Idle Town came out in March 2017. And by November the following year, he released the five-track EP Sunset Season, which includes the songs Idle Town, Generation Why, Crush Culture, Greek God and Lookalike.
The EP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers' Albums chart and at No. 116 on the Billboard 200.
Gray got his start on YouTube, making vlogs and covering songs.
Born in California to a father of mostly Irish ancestry and a Japanese mother, he often felt like the odd one out.
His parents divorced when he was 3 years old.
Having fun
Gray's latest single,Telepath, which was released in October, is filled with 1980s vibes.
On its creative process, he says: "I remember distinctly writing the chorus verse. And with that note, 'I got a feeling', and it just needed to have that '80s vibe or else, it just wouldn't feel right, you know?
"I think oftentimes, my music, a lot of it just doesn't really sound like it belongs together. The only thing that can tie all the others (together) is the lyrics.
"When it comes to production and sound, I just like to make each individual song what I think it should sound like. I don't really care too much about (the) bigger picture because I'm not the kind of person who listens only to a certain sound of music or one style of music genre," he explains.
He adds the song is obviously not a serious song.
"With its ridiculously '80s chorus, it's supposed to be a bit sarcastic. So, we wanted to just kind of purposely let the song be a bit ridiculous.
"There are all these silly things and that's what the song is supposed to be. (It's) supposed to be fun, because the song is me, making fun of someone the entire time. So that's kind of what we were going for."
Gray says the message behind the single is about heartbreak.
But instead of getting all sad and depressing, he wanted it to be lighthearted.
"It's also me poking fun at the way people always act like they're going to leave but then they always come back over and over and over.
"It's like people love to treat others badly. And then the second that they realise you've treated someone too badly, then they want them back. You know, it's the classic 'you always want the one you can't have' and so that's mainly the message," he shares.
Gray and his team focused so much time creating the artwork for the single, that a music video has yet to be put out.
"There's no music video planned right now, but that's not to say there won't be anything in the future. I'm not sure yet.
"But I would say, when we're making the artwork for Telepath we just really wanted to focus on that a lot. We had a ton of fun shooting, the photoshoot and doing the themes and stuff so I think we got a little carried away.
"But I think people can expect some music videos in the future. And I'm sure it'll be a ton of fun too as I have a lot of little sneaky things up my sleeve."
Being half Asian, the singer hopes that he will be able to include Asia as part of his tour in future.
"There are definitely plans for that. Obviously, with Covid-19, it's still uncertain now. That's why we haven't been able to solidify anything yet.
"But we had an entire tour planned previously before Covid-19 hit and I just can't wait to visit.
"It's been so long since I've been to Asia and I'm just excited to be surrounded by people who look like me again.
"That would be really nice. I'm just excited to see a bit more and be around new people and new cultures," says Gray.