| Macy Gray From the very first track on Macy Gray?s new album Big, the first for will.i.am music group/Geffen Records, that unique voice is instantly recognizable as one of the most distinctive in all of pop music. The singer-songwriter-performer earned a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her 1999 hit single, ?I Try,? which also received nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Her debut album On How Life Is went on to sell more than 7 million copies worldwide. Her second album, 2001?s The Id, produced such intriguing tracks as ?Psychopath,? ?Sexual Revolution? and ?Sweet Baby.? Gray?s worldwide touring led to followings in countries such as Israel, Australia, Spain, Italy, Germany and Holland. Her songs have appeared on the soundtracks of such movies as Rush Hour 2 (with Fatboy Slim, Slick Rick and Black Eyed Peas, where she first met will.i.am), Mona Lisa Smile, 8 Mile, Chicago (with Queen Latifah and Lil? Kim) and most recently, Denzel Washington?s Deja Vu. Now, Macy Gray is back after nearly four years, with a dynamic new effort that spotlights those classic pipes in a variety of stylistic settings. With will.i.am and Ron Fair behind the console for most of the album, Big ranges from the soulful plaint of ?What I Gotta Do? and ?Finally Made Me Happy? and the soaring ballad ?One? to the funk backbeat of ?Ghetto Love,? and the modern dance-floor smashes ?Okay? and ?Get Out,? created by Will and Justin Timberlake?s newly formed JAWbreakers production team. Macy worked with the new Whiteleaf Productions team of Jared and Whitey on the track ?Shoo Bee Doo.? For the first time, Macy was willing to work with other artists, songwriters and producers. Aside from will.i.am and Timberlake, Natalie Cole (?Finally Made Me Happy?) and Fergie (?Glad You?re Here?) provide harmonies and background vocals, while TVT Records artist Teedra Moses co-wrote lyrics with Macy on several others (?Finally Made Me Happy,? ?Ghetto Love?). ?Will convinced me to try it, and after what I had been through with my last label, I was kind of humbled,? says Macy. ?I was a lot more open to other suggestions. I discovered people?s energies, their ideas and what they could bring to the artistic process.? Geffen Records Chairman Ron Fair, who produced Mary J. Blige?s triple-Grammy-award winning The Breakthrough album, including ?Be Without You,? which earned nods for Best Female R&B Vocals and Best R&B Song, worked closely with Macy on the production of this record. "Macy Gray is one of the most unique voices to ever make a record,? says Fair. ?I was thrilled when multiple Grammy winning musical force of nature will.i.am brought her to the label. This is a brilliant record that is oozing life, soul, love, humor, joy, pain and extraordinary songwriting. Macy Gray is here to stay." |
