Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. In 2006, she released her debut studio album, '' Like Blood Like Honey'', under the aforementioned labels. In 2010, Grey co-wrote Eminem and

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

's hit single, " Love the Way You Lie", alongside Eminem and British record producer

Alex da Kid Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...

, who subsequently signed Grey to his Interscope Records label imprint,

Kidinakorner Kidinakorner (stylized as 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 market ...

. Grey's second album, '' Don't Look Down'', was released under the label in July 2013. The album reached the top 10 in the US and produced four singles. Grey's third studio release, ''

Natural Causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...

'', was issued in September 2016. Years after the release of ''Natural Causes'', an

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous fourth studio album entitled ''Skylar Grey'' was released in April 2022. Grey is perhaps best known for providing guest vocals on several hit singles, such as

Fort Minor Fort Minor was a hip hop side project by American musician Mike Shinoda, who is better known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and rapper of the rock band Linkin Park. The project's only album, '' The Rising Tied'', was release ...

's "

Where'd You Go Where'd You Go may refer to: * ''Where'd You Go?'' (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones EP), 1991 ** The title track from ''Where'd You Go?'' * "Where'd You Go" (Fort Minor song), 2006 * "Where'd You Go" a song by Destiny's Child from ''The Writing's on ...

", Diddy's " Coming Home", Dr. Dre's " I Need a Doctor", Nicki Minaj's "

Bed of Lies "Bed of Lies" is a song by Trinidadian-American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, taken from her third studio album, '' The Pinkprint'' (2014). The song was first premiered at the 2014 MTV EMAs in Glasgow, Scotland and was later released on Nove ...

", Macklemore's "

Glorious Glorious may refer to: Music * Glorious (music group), a French Christian rock and worship band Albums * ''Glorious'' (Arty album) or the title song, 2015 * ''Glorious'' (Bonfire album), 2015 * ''Glorious'' (Foxes album) or the title song (se ...

" and Illenium’s “From The Ashes”. Additionally, she has written songs for a number of prominent artists in the music industry, including Kehlani, G-Eazy, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Zedd, Nick Jonas, Céline Dion, and CeeLo Green.

Life and career

1994–2004: Early life and Generations

As a child, Grey performed professionally in a folk duo with her mother, Candace Kreitlow, called Generations. The group released three studio albums together.

2005–2010: ''Like Blood Like Honey'' and EPs

Grey co-wrote "Done With Like" and "She Said" with Jon Ingoldsby and American actress Brie Larson for Larson's first and only album, ''

Finally Out of P.E. ''Finally Out of P.E.'' is the debut and only album by American actress and singer Brie Larson, released on October 18, 2005, by Casablanca. The album features 13 tracks, some of which were co-written by Larson, and focuses on the ups and down ...

'' (2005). In 2005, Grey was featured on American hip hop group

's songs, "

" and "Be Somebody". "Where'd You Go" was released as a single on April 14, 2006, with an accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

following soon after. The song gained commercial success and ended up becoming a top four hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and also became certified platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). After working with music producer Jonathan Ingoldsby, Grey released her debut album, titled '' Like Blood Like Honey'', on June 6, 2006, under Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at number 35 on Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. During this time, Grey had landed opening spots for concert tours with Jamie Cullum, k.d. lang, Daniel Powter, Teddy Geiger and Duncan Sheik. 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? Chad Bromley (born March 8, 1979), better known by his stage name Apathy (formerly "The Alien Tongue"), is a rapper and producer from Willimantic, Connecticut. His first major release was his debut album; ''Eastern Philosophy'' in March 2006 wit ...

'' (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 ''Butterflies and Elvis'' is the debut studio album by Icelandic singer Yohanna, released by Warner Music in Sweden and still being released in other European countries. It was primarily produced by Lee Horrocks, with additional contribution f ...

''. 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. In early 2010, she performed in the theatrical version of "Whisper House," playing one of the two lead ghost vocalists, along with David Poe. On June 10, 2010, she self-released the seven-song

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP), ''O’Dark:Thirty''. Production of the EP was handled by Duncan Sheik and Jon Ingoldsby.

2010–2011: Songwriting and name change

Skylar Grey at Tibet Talk for World Peace (cropped)

Brook later changed her stage name to Skylar Grey. While still living in

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, Grey visited New York to meet her publisher

Jennifer Blakeman Jennifer Blakeman is a musician and music industry executive. Blakeman was a keyboardist for multiple bands predominantly in the 1980s and '90s, before starting a career in the music publishing industry. Musical career Blakeman started her pro ...

, to seek help presenting her work. Blakeman had suggested that she work with English producer

. 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". The song was given to American rapper Eminem and Barbadian singer

. Their version became a worldwide hit, reaching number one on 26 charts and being nominated for four

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s. Grey received a

Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...

Grammy nomination for "Love the Way You Lie". 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. In 2010, Grey also co-wrote and was featured on Diddy – Dirty Money's single " Coming Home", which gained massive commercial success. Also in 2010, Grey co-wrote " Castle Walls" by American rapper T.I. and American pop singer Christina Aguilera. On February 1, 2011, American rapper and renowned hip hop producer Dr. Dre released a song titled " I Need a Doctor", featuring Grey and Eminem. "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. Later in 2011, Grey was featured on a song titled " Words I Never Said", the second single from

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...

's '' Lasers'' (2011). Grey released her debut single, "Dance Without You", on June 6, 2011. The song later received a music video, which was released on July 5. Grey's second single and formerly her second album's title-track, " Invisible", was released to radio on June 16. 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.

2012–2014: ''Don't Look Down'' and collaborations

In August 2012, appeared twice as a guest vocalist on American hip hop supergroup

Slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...

'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''. In 2012, Grey co-wrote Russian-German producer Zedd's 2012 single " Clarity" featuring Foxes, which won the

for Best Dance Recording in 2014. In February 2013, American recording artist CeeLo Green released a single titled " Only You", which he co-wrote with Grey. On March 8, 2013, Grey performed a six-song set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV. 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, In April 2013, Grey contributed to will.i.am's fourth solo album '' #willpower'', on the song "Love Bullets". 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''. The album was preceded by the singles "

C'mon Let Me Ride "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 Ki ...

", "Final Warning", and "Wear Me Out". 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. In September 2013, Grey released a music video for her

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

of Daft Punk's hit single " Get Lucky". In October 2013, Grey appeared on the track "The Last Day" on

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

's eleventh album, ''

Innocents The Innocents or Innocents may refer to: Literature * ''The Innocents'' (novel), a 1917 novel by Sinclair Lewis * ''The Innocents'' (play), a 1950 play by William Archibald based on Henry James's ''The Turn of the Screw'' * ''The Innocents'', ...

''. On October 17, 2013, Grey previewed a new cover of

Robert Palmer Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and wikt:sartorial, sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining Soul music, so ...

's " Addicted to Love" in a trailer for the 2014 remake of '' Endless Love''. In November 2013, she appeared on Eminem's eighth studio album, '' The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', on a track titled "Asshole". On January 20, 2014, Grey released a song titled " Shot Me Down", with

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

. The song was successful charting in the top ten in several countries. In March 2014, a new collaboration with American recording artist

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...

, titled "Hero", was recorded for the '' Need for Speed'' film and released on the film's official soundtrack. In August 2014, Grey appeared on American rapper T.I.'s song "

New National Anthem "New National Anthem" is a political rap song by American rapper T.I., released on September 23, 2014, through Grand Hustle and Columbia Records, as a pre-order track from ''Paperwork'' (2014). The song, produced by Tommy "TBHITS" Brown, featu ...

", from his ninth album, '' Paperwork''. In November 2014, Grey featured on '' Shady XV'', a compilation album performed by various artists of Shady Records, on "Twisted" alongside Eminem and Yelawolf. In 2014, Grey teamed up with American rapper Nicki Minaj to co-write the song "

", from Minaj's third album, '' The Pinkprint''. Grey sang on the recording and performed it with Minaj at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards and the December 6, 2014 episode of '' Saturday Night Live''.

2015–2017: ''Natural Causes'' and soundtracks

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 The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

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. 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 "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 previousl ...

". On October 6, 2016, a music video for the song was released. ''

'', 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", and "Lemonade". In the fall of 2016, Grey went on her Natural Causes Tour with morgxn. In 2017, Grey provided vocals for the song "Wreak Havoc" and wrote Kehlani's "

Gangsta Gangsta may refer to: Urban culture * Gangsta rap, a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths * Gangster, a member of a gang * Hip hop fashio ...

" for the '' Suicide Squad'' soundtrack. Grey later co-wrote Kehlani and G-Eazy's song "Good Life" for '' The Fate of the Furious: The Album'' soundtrack. Grey collaborated with G-Eazy again, writing "Pick Me Up" for his album '' The Beautiful & Damned''. On March 31, 2017, American rock band

Papa Roach Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, guitarist Jerry Horton, drummer Dave Buckner, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luther. After ...

released their song, "Periscope", featuring guest vocals by Grey. Grey was also featured on American rapper Macklemore's single "

", released on June 25, 2017. The platinum selling single topped the charts in numerous countries. 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 Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

, and "Tragic Endings" with Grey herself. Previous collaborator Kaskade released his debut

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

album ''Kaskade Christmas'' on November 24 and featured Grey singing a cover of " O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" retitled "O Come Emmanuel".

2018–present: ''Angel with Tattoos'' and ''Dark Thoughts''

On January 25, 2018, Grey released a cover of Ben E. King's " Stand by Me", which was featured in a Budweiser Super Bowl LII commercial. A portion of the proceeds from the song went to the American Red Cross to benefit those affected by natural disasters. A music video was released on February 2, 2018. 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. Later that year, Grey co-wrote and performed the single "Everything I Need", for James Wan's superhero blockbuster film '' Aquaman''. In May 2019 Grey, along with fellow artists Jamie N Commons and

Gallant Gallant may refer to: * Gallant (singer) (born 1991), American singer and songwriter * Gallant (surname), people with the surname * Gallant, Alabama, United States * A gallant, or a man exhibiting courage * A gallant, a member of the Parliament o ...

, released a new version of Soul Asylum's 1993 " Runaway Train". The video for the song was made in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and utilizes geotargeting to show viewers missing children in their local area. The video was later nominated for a VMA. On July 19, 2019, Grey announced on social media that she had left Interscope Records/

KIDinaKORNER Kidinakorner (stylized as 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 market ...

and that she would release her fourth studio album ''Angel with Tattoos.'' The first single released was titled "Shame On You". ''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. 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.”. 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". 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. In 2019, Grey and her fiancé Elliott Taylor wrote "Falling In Love Again" for

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

's '' Courage''. Train also released a song featuring Grey titled "Mai Tais". The song was featured on the CBS show ''Magnum P.I''. 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. On July 14, 2020, Grey revealed her then-upcoming album title, ''Dark Thoughts''. The project was preceded by the singles "Dark Thoughts", a cover of " Goosebumps", and "Sunscreen". The project was eventually scrapped as Grey announced she started working on a new album via various social platforms on January 16, 2021. On September 30, 2021, Grey's song " Last One Standing" was featured on the soundtrack for the film '' Venom: Let There Be Carnage'' with Eminem, Polo G, and

Mozzy Timothy Cornell Patterson (born June 24, 1987), known professionally as Mozzy, is an American rapper from Oak Park, Sacramento, California. He is signed with CMG, Interscope Records, Blackmarket Records. He started rapping in 2004 under the na ...

featured on the song. After the release of several singles, Grey's eponymous fourth studio offering, '' Skylar Grey'' was released on April 28, 2022. On July 15, 2022, Grey's song "My Heart Has Teeth", produced by deadmau5, was featured on the soundtrack for the series '' Resident Evil''.

Artistry

Musical style and influences

Grey has listed Bon Iver, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor,

Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...

of Garbage,

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

, Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple,

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

, Sarah McLachlan, Eminem, Death Cab for Cutie and Alana Davis as her influences.

Stage name

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." 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."