As a child, Grey performed professionally in a folk duo with her mother, Candace Kreitlow,[5] called Generations.[6] The group released three studio albums together.
Through Machine Shop Records, Grey worked with Linkin Park affiliates Styles of Beyond and Apathy. She was featured on two tracks, "Victim" and "No Sad Tomorrow", from Apathy's second studio album, Wanna Snuggle? (2009). Grey toured as part of Duncan Sheik's band and contributed substantially to his 2009 album, Whisper House. In 2009, Grey sang backing vocals on Eurovision contestant Yohanna's debut album, Butterflies and Elvis. In August 2009, still under the name Holly Brook, she lent both her song "It's Raining Again" and her image to a promotional campaign for Ciao Water.[8][9] In early 2010, she performed in the theatrical version of "Whisper House," playing one of the two lead ghost vocalists, along with David Poe.[10] On June 10, 2010, she self-released the seven-song extended play (EP), O’Dark:Thirty. Production of the EP was handled by Duncan Sheik and Jon Ingoldsby.[11]
2010–2011: Songwriting and name change
Grey singing at the Tibet Talk for World Peace in July 2011
Brook later changed her stage name to Skylar Grey. While still living in Oregon, Grey visited New York to meet her publisher Jennifer Blakeman, to seek help presenting her work. Blakeman had suggested that she work with English producer Alex da Kid. Alex da Kid then sent Grey a few tracks that he had been working on, the first song finished being "Love the Way You Lie".[12][13] The song was given to American rapper Eminem (who wrote the verses) and Barbadian singer Rihanna. Their song became a worldwide hit, reaching number one on 26 charts and being nominated for four Grammy Awards. Grey received a Song of the Year Grammy nomination for "Love the Way You Lie".[14] Grey wrote the hook to all three versions of "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem and Rihanna, and even recorded a solo version that was later featured on her fourth EP, The Buried Sessions of Skylar Grey (2012).
Alex da Kid went on to sign Skylar Grey to a production deal on his KIDinaKORNER record label imprint.[15] In 2010, Grey also co-wrote and was featured on Diddy – Dirty Money's single "Coming Home", which gained massive commercial success.[16] Also in 2010, Grey co-wrote "Castle Walls" by American rapper T.I. and American pop singer Christina Aguilera.[17] On February 1, 2011, American renowned hip hop producer Dr. Dre released a song titled "I Need a Doctor", featuring Eminem and Grey.[18] "I Need a Doctor" managed to peak at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. The song garnered Grey several Grammy nominations.
Grey made her national television debut under her new alias during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, where she performed "I Need a Doctor", with Eminem and Dr. Dre. During this time, Grey announced that she had begun working on her album then-titled Invinsible. In March 2011, it was revealed Grey signed to Interscope Records, through Alex da Kid's KIDinaKORNER and announced she would be releasing a single in the spring.[19] Later in 2011, Grey was featured on a song titled "Words I Never Said", the second single from Lupe Fiasco's Lasers (2011).
Grey released her debut single, "Dance Without You", on June 6, 2011.[20] The song later received a music video, which was released on July 5.[21] Grey's second single and formerly her second album's title-track, "Invisible", was released to radio on June 16.[22][23] Grey performed alongside aspiring rapper Eli Porter on the September 20, 2011 episode of Tosh.0. In October, Grey was featured on American DJ Kaskade's seventh album Fire & Ice, writing and singing on two versions of the song "Room for Happiness", which became the album's third single and earned a Grammy nomination.[24]
In August 2012, appeared twice as a guest vocalist on American hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse's second album, Welcome to: Our House (2012). In September 2012, Grey's song "Building a Monster", was featured on the soundtrack to Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.[25][26]
In February 2013, American recording artist CeeLo Green released a single titled "Only You", which he co-wrote with Grey.[28] On March 8, 2013, Grey performed a six-song set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV.[29] Grey also contributed an exclusive song, titled "Slowly Freaking Out", to the soundtrack album for the film 2013 film The Host, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer,[30] In April 2013, Grey contributed to will.i.am's fourth solo album #willpower, on the song "Love Bullets".[31]
On October 31, 2012, Grey announced Eminem would be executive producer for her album whose title she had changed from Invinsible to Don't Look Down.[32] The album was preceded by the singles "C'mon Let Me Ride",[33] "Final Warning",[34] and "Wear Me Out".[35] Grey's second album, Don't Look Down, was released July 5, 2013.The album debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 24,000 copies in the United States.[36]
Grey confirmed on her official Instagram account that her third studio album would be released in 2015. In February 2015, Grey released a song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack called "I Know You". Also in February, Grey confirmed she has a song on the Furious 7 soundtrack, called "I Will Return." In March 2015, she released her version of "Addicted to Love" on iTunes, and also re-released the song "Words," which was deleted from the iTunes Store in 2013. On March 29, 2015, Grey appeared at her third WrestleMania event, performing a medley of "Rise" and "Money and the Power" at the thirty-first annual event, with Travis Barker and Kid Ink.[46]
On May 18, 2015, house producer deadmau5 released a short demo on SoundCloud in collaboration with Kaskade, featuring vocals by Grey, titled "Beneath with Me".[47] On October 6, 2016, a music video for the song was released.[48]
Natural Causes, Grey's third studio album, was released on September 23, 2016. The album received positive reviews and was a moderate commercial success. It was preceded by the singles "Moving Mountains", the Eminem-produced "Come Up For Air",[49] and "Lemonade".[50][51] In the fall of 2016, Grey went on her Natural Causes Tour with morgxn.[52]
On March 31, 2017, American rock band Papa Roach released their song, "Periscope", featuring guest vocals by Grey. Grey was also featured on American rapper Macklemore's single "Glorious", released on June 25, 2017. The platinum selling single topped the charts in numerous countries.[55][56] Grey collaborated with Eminem on his album Revival, co-writing the collaborations "Walk On Water" with Beyoncé, "Like Home" with Alicia Keys, "Need Me" with Pink, and "Tragic Endings" with Grey herself.[57]
Previous collaborator Kaskade released his debut Christmas album Kaskade Christmas on November 24 and featured Grey singing a cover of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" retitled "O Come Emmanuel".[58]
2018–2020: Angel with Tattoos and Make It Through The Day
On January 25, 2018, Grey released a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me",[59] which was featured in a BudweiserSuper Bowl LII commercial.[60] A portion of the proceeds from the song went to the American Red Cross to benefit those affected by natural disasters.[61] A music video was released on February 2, 2018.[62]
In an interview with Uproxx published on January 26, 2018, Grey revealed that she was working on her fourth album and is planning on including her own version of "Walk on Water", which she had written for Eminem and Beyoncé, on the album.[63] Later that year, Grey co-wrote and performed the single "Everything I Need", for James Wan's superhero blockbuster film Aquaman.[64][65]
On July 19, 2019, Grey announced on social media that she had left Interscope Records/KIDinaKORNER and that she would release her fourth studio album Angel with Tattoos. The first single released was titled "Shame On You".[68]Angel with Tattoos was released as an EP on October 18, 2019, and she released the music video for the title-song of the album on the same day.[69] Grey announced that the album is open ended, and songs will be added over time, stating; "Who knows? It could end up with a hundred songs, it could stop at five.”.[70]
On August 7, 2019, Grey released a new song titled "New Kind Of Love" that was featured on Hulu's re-make of "Four Weddings And A Funeral".[71] In the Aug. 24 issue of Billboard, Grey revealed that she had left Interscope Records due to "creative differences;" that her departure had been "amicable;" and that she had signed with Crush Music in 2017.[72]
In 2019, Grey and her fiancé Elliott Taylor wrote "Falling In Love Again" for Celine Dion's Courage. Train also released a song featuring Grey titled "Mai Tais". The song was featured on the CBS show Magnum P.I.[73]
On January 17, 2020, Eminem released his eleventh studio album, Music to Be Murdered By, featuring a song featuring Grey titled "Leaving Heaven". Furthermore, Grey co-wrote and produced the song, making her the first sole female to produce an Eminem song.[74]
On July 14, 2020, Grey revealed her then-upcoming album title, Dark Thoughts.[75] The project was preceded by the singles "Dark Thoughts", a cover of "Goosebumps",[76] and "Sunscreen".[77][78] The project was eventually scrapped as Grey announced she started working on a new album via various social platforms on January 16, 2021.[79] Some singles released in 2020 were compiled as part of Make It Through the Day - EP, released on November 6, 2020.[80]
2021–present: Skylar Grey and Lofi Chill Vibes albums
After the release of several singles, Grey's eponymous fourth studio offering, Skylar Grey was released on April 28, 2022.[83]
On July 15, 2022, Grey's song "My Heart Has Teeth", produced by deadmau5, was featured on the soundtrack for the series Resident Evil.[84] On October 27, 2022, Grey's song "Walking On Fire", produced by Th3rdstream, was featured on the soundtrack for the series Vampire Academy.[85]
In 2023, Grey announced that she would be re-recording her back catalog after selling her masters to settle her 2021 divorce. The plan was to release a greatest hits collection in 2023, including Grey's original version/demo of "Love the Way You Lie", later recorded and released by Eminem and Rihanna and Grey's version of "Coming Home" (released by Diddy-Dirty Money).[86][87] Grey released her next album Lofi Chill Vibes with Skylar Grey on August 11, 2023, featuring lo-fi versions of Grey's back catalog.[88] Grey co-wrote and featured on Eminem's song "Temporary" from his 2024 album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).[citation needed]
Grey explained that she thought her stage name "represents the unknowns in life. People seem to be afraid of the unknowns, but I'm the complete opposite. I dive into the unknown because I feel like that's where all your possibilities come from."[93] She explained to Beatweek that she chose "grey" with an e rather than an a because "I like to do things the original way" and because "it's more masculine. I'm not a very feminine person."[94]
Personal life
Grey was previously married to Todd Jeremy Mandel. In 2017, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him after he allegedly stalked and followed her and her boyfriend, Elliott Taylor.[95] Grey is currently engaged to Taylor.[96]
Luis Edgardo Resto is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and keyboardist who has worked closely with rapper Eminem since his third major-label album The Eminem Show. He is of Puerto Rican descent and was raised in Garden City, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as influencing many musical artists. His most successful songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 include "The Real Slim Shady", "Without Me", "Lose Yourself", "Not Afraid", "Love the Way You Lie", "The Monster", "Godzilla", and "Houdini".
Recovery is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Eminem, released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Unlike his previous albums, it features a majority of outside producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin and Havoc, alongside in-house producers Emile, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. The album also features pop artists such as Pink and Rihanna, as well as rapper Lil Wayne and the rap group Slaughterhouse.
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna from Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery (2010). Skylar Grey wrote and recorded a demo of the song alongside producer Alex da Kid. Eminem wrote the verses and chose Rihanna to sing the chorus, resulting in a collaboration influenced by their past experiences in difficult relationships. Recording sessions were held in Ferndale, Michigan, and Dublin, Ireland. Backed by guitar, piano and violin, the track is a midtempo hip-hop ballad with a pop refrain, sung by Rihanna, and describes two lovers who refuse to separate despite being in an abusive relationship.
The discography of Skylar Grey, an American singer-songwriter, consists of four studio albums, seven extended plays (EPs), 21 singles and 14 music videos. Grey was signed to Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. She released her debut album Like Blood Like Honey in 2006, but was released from her contract after it did not perform commercially. She began working under the name Skylar Grey in 2010, co-writing the three versions of "Love the Way You Lie" with Alex da Kid, who signed her to his Wonderland Music label. Grey later left KIDinaKORNER/Interscope records and is currently an independent artist.
"I Need a Doctor" is a single by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey. The song was produced by Alex da Kid and released for digital download through the iTunes Store on February 1, 2011.
"Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album Loud (2010). It features American rapper Eminem, who wrote the song alongside Skylar Grey and the producer Alex da Kid. It is the sequel to the hit single "Love the Way You Lie", which appears on Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery. It received positive reviews from critics and was performed for at the American Music Awards of 2010 on November 21, 2010, as part of a medley with "What's My Name?" and "Only Girl (In the World)".
"Words I Never Said" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released February 8, 2011, as the second single from his third studio album Lasers. The song was produced by British music producer Alex da Kid and features vocals from American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey. The song contains references to controversial political and socioeconomic topics, including the September 11 attacks, government fiscal policy, and the Gaza War. The song's message of standing up for the people and being against the government has been used as a theme song for Internet group Anonymous. It was named the 41st best song of 2011 by XXL magazine.
Don't Look Down is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey. Kidinakorner and Interscope Records released the album on July 5, 2013. Grey worked with producers including J. R. Rotem, Alex da Kid, Jayson DeZuzio, and Mike Del Rio. Featured artists include Big Sean, Travis Barker, Eminem, and Angel Haze. A pop album with hip hop influences, it is a departure from Grey's previous musical output as Holly Brook.
"Invisible" is the debut single by American recording artist Skylar Grey. It was officially first released on iTunes on August 9, 2011. She performed the track along with various other songs on her upcoming studio album at The Glass House on July 31, 2011, and the song earned placement in the official trailer for the Madonna-directed film W./E..
Fire & Ice is the seventh studio album by American DJ and producer Kaskade. It was released on October 25, 2011, in the United States through Ultra Records.
Nayvadius DeMun Cash, known professionally as Future, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Known for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of Auto-Tuned melodies in trap music. Due to the sustained popularity of this musical style, he is commonly regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is the eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. It is his last album to carry the logo of the independent label WEB Entertainment and his first since joining Aftermath not to feature production by his mentor Dr. Dre, who instead serves as an executive producer alongside Rick Rubin. The album is a sequel to Eminem's third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP, and follows the trend set by his previous album, Recovery, by featuring popstars such as Rihanna and Nate Ruess, and using outside producers like S1, Alex da Kid, and Rick Rubin.
"C'mon Let Me Ride" is a song by American singer Skylar Grey, released December 11, 2012 as the first single from her major-label debut album Don't Look Down (2013). The song, produced by frequent collaborator and longtime producer Alex da Kid and Mike Del Rio, features a guest appearance from American rapper Eminem, who also mixed the record. The song was released to contemporary hit radio in January 2013.
Kidinakorner is an American record company founded in 2011 by British music producer and songwriter Alexander "Alex da Kid" Grant. The company houses a record label, music publishing, commercial production and a marketing agency. The company is home to some prominent acts in the music industry, including Imagine Dragons and X Ambassadors.
"Survival" is a song by American rapper Eminem. It premiered on August 14, 2013, to promote the multiplayer trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts, and was initially released as a pre-order bonus when pre-ordering the game. The song was officially released as the second single from The Marshall Mathers LP 2 on October 8, 2013. It features uncredited vocals in the chorus from Liz Rodrigues of the New Royales. Upon its single release, the song debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and upon the album's release, it climbed to a new peak of number 16.
Cannonball is a single released by American singer and songwriter, Skylar Grey. The song was written by Grey, Sam Harris, Noah Feldshuh, Casey Harris, Adam Levin and Alex da Kid, produced by the latter, and features the band X Ambassadors. "Cannonball" is on FIFA 16 soundtrack, and was announced by The Independent. It received official digital release on September 25, 2015 "Cannonball" will support the US collaborative tour between Grey and X Ambassadors. The song sold around 25,000 digital copies in the United States.
Timothy Cornell Patterson, known professionally as Mozzy, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California. He signed with Yo Gotti's record label Collective Music Group (CMG), an imprint of Interscope Records in 2022, having previously signed with local independent label, Blackmarket Records. He is best known for his 2021 single "Last One Standing" from the film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Natural Causes is the third studio album by American recording artist Skylar Grey. It is her second album since her stage name change from Holly Brook to Skylar Grey. It was released on September 23, 2016, by KidinaKorner and Interscope Records.
"Beneath with Me" is a song by American DJ Kaskade and Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It features vocals from American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey. This is the third collaborative single by Kaskade and Deadmau5, having previously worked together on "I Remember" and "Move for Me".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
