Conan Gray sets internet ablaze with gay Romeo & Juliet performance at 2025 VMAs: ‘A mainstream pop boy’
Conan Gray’s gay Romeo & Juliet performance at the VMAs has fans going wild. (Getty)
Conan Gray's gay Romeo & Juliet performance at the VMAs has fans going wild. (Getty)
“Caramel” singer Conan Gray is being hailed as one of the standout stars at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards, thanks to his queer Romeo & Juliet inspired performance of his song “Vodka Cranberry”.
The 26-year-old singer took to the stage at the MTV VMAs in New York on 7 September, beginning his performance in period style attire, complete with a bejewelled, red velvet cape, puffy sleeves, and toussled hair.
He lowered down his seemingly deceased stage partner, My Life With Walter Boys actor Corey Fogelmanis, onto a bed of flowers à la Romeo with Juliet in Shakespeare’s tragic tale.
Fogelmanis also stars in Gray’s recent music video series for songs “This Song”, “Vodka Cranberry” and “Caramel”, which tells the story of an ill-fated gay summer romance.
Gray, also in cream trousers, a matching sash, and dazzling earrings, then walked across the VMA stage as a string band in all white performed behind him.
As the song reached its post-bridge climax, Gray belted out the song’s famed high note, sending Ariana Grande’s family in the audience into a meltdown. The moment was captured on camera and shared on social media, with Grande’s brother Frankie Grande responding: “What can we say… we love a high belting diva!”
At the end of the performance, Gray walked back over to Fogelmanis’s body, drank liquid dressed up as poison, and laid down on the actor’s chest.
On social media, Gray’s performance has music lovers declaring him the next “mainstream pop boy”.
“When are we gonna start realizing Conan Gray is a mainstream pop boy? He literally has it ALL” wrote one viewer.
“Oh Conan Gray you’re so ready to become the next pop icon,” a second agreed.
A third gushed: “A queer performance from his new album that’s his most blatantly queer album yet in this political climate is so incredibly special to me and so many other queer people, Conan Gray I hope you feel pride in what you’ve done for the community.”
In August, Gray released his fourth studio album Wishbone. Alongside the trio of queer music videos, the record includes song “My World”, which references kissing both men and women. The musician is yet to discuss his sexuality publicly.
Speaking to Teen Vogue recently, Fogelmanis shut down rumours that he and Gray are dating.
“It’s so funny because when we made the [trio of music] videos, we had kind of come up with this concept for the character and the stories. I loved it, I felt like they were awesome, but I knew what he had written the songs about. And so it’s like I also was kind of thinking about that,” Fogelmanis said.
Elsewhere during his time at the VMAs, Conan Gray walked the red carpet in an elaborate, navy blue femme sailor outfit, complete with ruffled skirt, ribbon laces, chunky white boots and a sailor hat emblazoned with “WB” for Wishbone.
“Conan is the probably the only man who doesn’t wear a boring plain suit for the events, love that for him, real diva,” wrote one impressed fan on social media.
Despite not being nominated for an MTV VMA this year, he was longlisted as Push Artist of the Year at the ceremony back in 2020.
The 2025 MTV VMAs also saw Sabrina Carpenter take over the main stage with a trans rights protest as part of her “Tears” performance, and Ariana Grande thank the gays for helping her secure three VMA wins.
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