On the first weekend of June, nearly 150,000 music lovers descended on Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the 15th annual Governors Ball—New York’s premier music festival. Among the stacked lineup was Conan Gray, marking his first-ever Gov Ball performance and kicking off a brand new era in the process. The set came hot on the heels of his latest single, “This Song,” released just a week before on May 30, and the announcement of his upcoming album Wishbone, due out August 15. To make the occasion even sweeter, Gray shared the Saturday bill with none other than his bestie and fellow pop powerhouse, Olivia Rodrigo.

Of course, no Gov Ball would be complete without a little chaos from the skies (so I’ve heard). A classic downpour cut the fest short on Saturday and delayed Conan’s set by an hour, but by the time he hit the stage—dressed in a sailor outfit, no less—the energy was palpable. Framed by giant waves and a ship hoisting a blue flag, the performance felt like a pop odyssey, both theatrical and emotional. His adoring fans screamed themselves hoarse to hits like “Heather,” “People Watching,” and “Memories,” while he debuted “This Song” live for the very first time. And just when it couldn’t get any better, Gray slipped in a dreamy cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

But Saturday wasn’t the only time Conan caused a scene. On Friday, for Role Model’s set, Gray made a surprise appearance during “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”—playing the part of Sally. “Where’s my Sally tonight?” Role Model asked the crowd, before Conan dashed on stage and kissed him on the lips. “Oh my god,” Role Model laughed before jumping back into the chorus.

Before hitting the stage, we met up backstage with the Texas-born singer-songwriter, handed him a disposable film camera to capture the scenes as he got ready—and squeezed in a quick chat while we were at it. Below, check out Gray’s candid shots and get the inside scoop on his upcoming album and that viral kiss.

VMAN: Congratulations on ‘This Song’! I’d love to hear more about the inspiration behind the track, the songwriting process, and why it was chosen as the lead single.

Conan Gray: I wanted to pick it as the lead single because it felt like the perfect first step into the album. It’s a true love song without any breakup. It’s a profession of love, and I think that’s new for me. I wanted to give people something that’s new but still feels entirely like me. I felt really happy about choosing it. And honestly, the song is just about having a crush. I think it’s easy to explain it as a love song, but it’s actually more like being pre-obsessed with someone. It’s kind of that friends-to-lovers arc. It felt like that butterfly feeling—like, I like you, I think you like me, but I don’t know.

VMAN: The music video was filmed in Texas, where you grew up. Did choosing that location have anything to do with reconnecting with your childhood?

CG: Yes! The whole album is about me returning to myself, returning to my childhood and kind of facing it. There was no other place I could have filmed that video; it needed to be reminiscent of my actual life for me to feel like I could live in that mind space. My co-star, Corey [Fogelmanis], is a very good friend of mine. I could have only shot that video with a real friend—you know? It just had to be as real as possible.

VMAN: What was it like working with Corey Fogelmanis?

CG: We’ve been friends for 10 years, but we’ve never worked together. It was fun! I mean, it felt like hanging out. The vibe you see on screen is very much just him and me goofing around, messing with each other and stuff like that. We shot so much, but a lot of what ended up in the video was us just being candid. It was really special. He’s one of the most important people in my life.

VMAN: What can we expect from ‘Wishbone’ and how is it different from your previous records?

CG: I would say it’s most like my first album. It kind of feels like Kid Krow‘s older brother. I think you can expect to go through a bit of a story arc with where the songs go. The first song is a love song, and things kind of progress from there.

VMAN: And you start touring in September. Can fans expect any surprises?

CG: I think they can expect exactly what I normally give at a Conan Gray show—which is just, like, screaming, crying, vomiting, more crying, laughing. Just a great time. But I do think there’ll maybe be a little more crying than usual. It’s going to be so great, and I’m so excited to bring the world of the album to life. It’s a bit whimsical, a bit dreamlike—and it’ll be fun.

VMAN: You surprised Role Model on the stage with a kiss during ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.’ It kind of made the news a little bit.

CG: I’m a big fan! I think he’s incredible. And Sally is such a great song. I saw he was doing these on-stage Sally things, and I was like, this is a big responsibility—to be chosen as Sally! I knew we had to do something that was really fun and stupid. We planned this ahead of time. We were like, what’s the most ridiculous thing we can do? And it ended up being very fun and silly.

VMAN: What’s your favorite Role Model song? Aside from Sally, of course.

CG: Ooh, favorite Role Model song? God. I’d say, at the moment, maybe Frances.

VMAN: Lastly, do you have any plans for Pride Month?

CG: Nothing in particular at the moment. Just love all the gay people in my life, I guess. That’s my main plan.

Photography Dillon Matthew (@dillonmatthewc)