If the VMAs had a thirst category, Conan Gray would’ve swept.
The singer-songwriter turned heads across the internet after photos started circulating of him shirtless while getting dressed for the show. The way he lifts his dramatic navy skirt to reveal just enough abs and attitude was enough to short-circuit Gay Twitter’s servers.
“VMAs just got a new icon!” one person declared, while another added, “If he wasn’t a bottom he could top me.”
Some people defended their position as a longtime stan, telling everyone else who’s just jumping on the train to get in line.
And while some were mad that people tried to get at him, others were happy the world was finally starting to “wake up” to him.
The photos came after Gray’s ethereal, homoerotic Romeo & Juliet-inspired performance of “Vodka Cranberry” at the VMAs, a velvet-laced number that had him gliding through fog like a Shakespearean daydream. While fans swooned over the vocals, they also ignited speculation about a relationship with longtime friend and actor Corey Fogelmanis.
Videos of the two went viral on TikTok with captions like “he wants that white boy,” and some fans dubbed Fogelmanis his “prince.”
The two have been close friends for years and frequently appear in each other’s content. Neither has confirmed a romantic relationship, but the internet is more than happy to manifest it for them.
As for Gray, he himself has never labeled his sexuality. In a 2018 tweet, he asked fans to stop boxing him in and just let him exist:
