It takes a lot to be singer-songwriter, Macy Gray. For one you have to contend with those who challenge the beauty of your ethereal voice, mock your eclectic fashion choices and as Gray recently revealed; pigeonhole you to one genre of music because of your race.
“The industry has this horrible stereotype about what an artist should do based on their color. I really established myself as a pop artist with “I Try,” but because I was black they wanted to do an urban single first. If I were white they wouldn’t have gone that route. I think music is the most stereotypical and racist industry that there is out there,” she says.
Gray hasn’t let the race politics of the music business stifle her individuality. On her new album, The Sellout, she experiments with a range of sounds including pop and rock. For Gray, the album is a declaration of her independence from label restrictions, music politics and the pressure to conform.
“With making this album I got to rediscover what it’s like to be on my own and create without people telling me what I should do. So that was refreshing and enlightening. Now I know that I’m the one who made this record so whatever comes from it came from me,” she says.
That confidence and commitment to remaining true to her own muse and passion informs Gray’s new single, “Beauty in the World.” Indeed, Gray’s album reaffirms the beauty that comes from being oneself. –souleo
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