Conan Gray celebrates ‘Kid Krow’ anniversary with ‘Heather’ lost verse version

By Angelica N. Hall

In 2020, American pop star and former Youtuber Conan Gray, released one of his most commercially successful songs, “Heather,” a heart-wrenching ballad that became one of his biggest hits. 

The song, which was a TikTok trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, struck a deep chord with Gen Z audiences and cemented itself as a cultural anthem. 

Now, five years later, on its fifth anniversary, fans were given an unexpected gift: a long-awaited live version featuring the lost verse that never made it into the original track.

‘Wish I were Heather’

Dubbed as the “Heartbroken Prince” by People Magazine in 2020, Conan Gray, with the release of his studio album “Kid Krow” the same year, has built a reputation of transforming raw emotions and the chaos of young love into hauntingly beautiful music.

His lyrics explore the complexities of growing up, combining personal anecdotes with the nostalgic, universal struggle that is youth. 

One of the main songs that defined the album and his artistry was “Heather,” one of his Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified singles and an unexpected sleeper hit. 

The four-time platinum song is known for its melancholic tale of unrequited love, of quiet longing and, ultimately, of an aching desire to become the very person your crush adores. 

With its lyrics “You gave her your sweater / It’s just polyester / But you like her better / Wish I were Heather,” Gen Zs have begun to coin the term “Heather” as specifically the person your crush is in love with. 

Even the Urban Dictionary defined the name as “when someone says that you’re Heather, they mean that everybody can’t help but like you.” 

But the story behind the song was much more straightforward. 

“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*cking hated Heather,” the 26-year-old singer said in an interview with an Apple Music Editor.

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‘I wish I could kiss her’

On December 4, 2023, Gray breathed new life into the song by releasing an acoustic cover on TikTok. 

In the 39-second video, he sang a new verse that was not part of the original track, explaining that he found the verse in his old notebook. 

“I want her hair / Want to steal what she wears / Want to smell like her perfume / Do everything like her / ‘Cause isn’t she perfect? / The lipstick on her lips / I wish I could kiss her / To know why you love her,” Gray sang, with his signature melodic vulnerability. 

As expected, fans were both thrilled and heartbroken by the revelation. 

Many found the lyrics gut-wrenching, with some TikTok comments urging Gray to release a full version of the song that included the missing verse.

Kid Krow: ‘Decomposed’

Five years later, on March 21, that request finally came to fruition as Gray released a new edition of the beloved album on its fifth anniversary – titled “Kid Krow, Decomposed (5 Year Anniversary).” 

“Five years ago, on March 20th 2020, this album began my life! So in celebration of these past five years, I wanted to make this little birthday gift for us,” the three-time Platinum “Maniac” singer said in his Instagram post. 

“Words cannot express how grateful I feel to everybody who welcomed me into their worlds because of these songs.”

The remastered album includes three new tracks: Bed Rest, his previously unreleased song from the “Kid Krow” era, a live version of “The Cut That Always Bleeds” and the ever-beloved “Heather” live version, complete with the verses that got the fans reeling from the “Isn’t she perfect?” line. 

“Of all the 200+ songs I wrote for this album, Bed Rest felt like the perfect way to celebrate the 5 year anniversary; because not only does it perfectly encapsulate how I felt about life then, it somehow also speaks so perfectly to how I feel about life now, five years later (sometimes you have to go a little crazy before you can come back to your senses),” Gray added in the social media post. 

“Bed Rest,” the added vault track, is an introspective ballad reflecting on the aftermath of a relationship where both parties were equally responsible for the pain they inflicted on each other. 

Critically acclaimed album

The anniversary also coincided with “The Cut That Always Bleeds” entering the Top 200 of the Spotify Global Chart for the first time in January this year. 

Just like many of Gray’s songs, it painted a poignant image of heartbreak – from the perspective of one who tries to heal from a toxic relationship, only to be faced with the difficulties of letting go of the person who constantly hurts them. 

The critically acclaimed album debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 upon its release five years ago and has since earned a platinum certification. 

Meanwhile, Gray was recognised as the “Biggest New Artist Debut of 2020,” as reported by Music Connection.

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