“Maniac” by Conan Gray

First off let it be known that the titular “maniac” is actually the addressee, not Conan himself. Moreover said individual would be his ex-girlfriend. And he is dissing her due to certain mannerisms she is displaying in relation to him. Or getting right down to the nitty-gritty, let’s say that she is proving herself completely unable to let go of the singer. And considering that his feelings for her appear to be the polar opposite, she is going through extreme lengths, such as wrecking her own car, to get his attention.

Moreover, in actuality her feelings for him can be described more as love/hate. For instance, when she gets drunk with her homeys, she can even go as far as telling them that she wants Conan to die. But more to the point is her extraordinary obsession with the narrator, as in ‘wanting back what she can’t have’.

Indeed Conan goes on to imply in the bridge that it was her likewise less-than-favorable personality which caused their romance to dissolve in the first place.

Lyrics of “Maniac” are Autobiographical

Now as for the real-life inspiration behind this song, Conan has stated that he, as well as his friends, have had experiences with ex-girlfriends where said individuals were basically harassing them. Or more specifically, they would spread nasty gossip about him but then afterwards try to hook back up. And in his mind, this amounts to “psychotic” behavior. Or succinctly put, the vocalist feels that the type of ladies he is singing about on this track actually have mental issues.

Conclusion

So at the end of the day, the situation Conan is dealing with is two-fold. One is that an ex-girlfriend whom he no longer likes wants to get re-involved with him romantically. But the real heart of the problem is that said lady is, by his estimation, a “maniac”. And what that expression boils down to is that in the process of trying to win him back, she is concurrently making his life, as further alluded to by the song’s music video, a living hell.

Facts about “Maniac”

Republic Records released this song as the third single from Conan Gray’s maiden album on October 24th, 2019. Said album is titled “Kid Krow”. The following tracks were also released as singles from that album:

• “Comfort Crow”
• “Checkmate”
• “The Story“

While teasing this track on 22 October 2019, Conan revealed that it was his “top” (i.e. favorite) song from “Kid Krow”.

The music video to “Maniac” has been described as a horror-based comedy. And accordingly, it was released around Halloween, 2019. It co-stars British actress Jessica Barden and had Brume as its director.

Conan Gray co-wrote “Maniac” in conjunction with the track’s producer, Dan Nigro.