Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from

Mazomanie, Wisconsin Mazomanie is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,652 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Mazomanie. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Mazomanie is ...

. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with

Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram. Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...

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 Machine Shop Records is a record label founded by American rock band Linkin Park members, Brad Delson and Mike Shinoda, in 2001. The label is notable for releasing music in rock, hip hop, underground hip hop, alternative rock and nu metal music ...

under the name Holly Brook. In 2006, she released her debut studio album, ''

Like Blood Like Honey ''Like Blood Like Honey'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey, then known as Holly Brook. It was released by Warner Bros. Records on May 23, 2006. The album peaked at number 26 on ''Billboard'' Heatseekers Album ...

'', under the aforementioned labels. In 2010, Grey co-wrote

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing Hip hop music, hip hop in Middle America (United Sta ...

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 th ...

'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 Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...

label imprint, Kidinakorner. 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 distin ...

'', 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 single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s, 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 released ...

's " Where'd You Go", Diddy's " Coming Home",

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

's "

I Need a Doctor "I Need a Doctor" is a single by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Eminem and American singer Skylar Grey. The song was produced by Alex da Kid and released for digital download through the American iTunes Store on Februar ...

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...

'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 Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewi ...

's " Glorious" and

Illenium Nicholas Daniel Miller (born December 26, 1990), professionally known as Illenium, is an American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has released four studio albums, his most recent being '' Fallen Embers'', released in July 2021. It earne ...

’s “From The Ashes”. Additionally, she has written songs for a number of prominent artists in the music industry, including

Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish (born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Kehlani is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen group Poplyfe in 2011. In 2014, Kehlani released the ...

G-Eazy Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. His first major-label album, '' These Things Happen'', was released on June 23, 2014, and peaked at number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

Zedd Anton Zaslavski (russian: Антон Заславский; born 2 September 1989), known professionally as Zedd (), is a Russian-born German DJ, record producer, and songwriter. Zedd grew up and began his musical journey in Kaiserslautern, G ...

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

Céline 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 ...

, and

CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

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 Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and blockb ...

for Larson's first and only album, '' Finally Out of P.E.'' (2005). In 2005, Grey was featured on American hip hop group

's songs, " Where'd You Go" 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 devic ...

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 Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

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/ ...

(RIAA). After working with music producer Jonathan Ingoldsby, Grey released her debut album, titled ''

'', on June 6, 2006, under Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at number 35 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Heatseekers Albums Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...

chart. During this time, Grey had landed opening spots for

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

s with

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...

, k.d. lang, Daniel Powter,

Teddy Geiger Teresa Geiger (born September 16, 1988) also known by her stage name Teddy Geiger, is an American artist, songwriter and record producer. Early life Geiger was born on September 16, 1988, to Lorilyn Rizzo-Bridges and John Theodore Geiger, I. Sh ...

and

Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik is known for his 1996 debut single " Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has composed m ...

. Through Machine Shop Records, Grey worked with Linkin Park affiliates

Styles of Beyond Styles of Beyond was an American underground hip hop group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu) and Takbir Bashir (Tak), Colton Raisin Fisher ( DJ Cheapshot), and produce ...

and

Apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of inter ...

. 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

's band and contributed substantially to his 2009 album, ''

Whisper House ''Whisper House'' is the sixth studio album and second musical by American singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik. It was released on RCA Victor in 2009. Details The album, Sheik's first in the wake of success from composing music for the Tony Award-win ...

''. In 2009, Grey sang backing vocals on Eurovision contestant

Yohanna Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir (born 16 October 1990), known outside Iceland as Yohanna, is an Icelandic-Danish singer. Beginning her music career as a child singer, Yohanna received international recognition after representing Iceland in the ...

'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 ...

''. 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 U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, Grey visited New York to meet her publisher

Jennifer Blakeman Jennifer Blakeman is a musician and music executive, music industry executive. Blakeman was a keyboardist for multiple bands predominantly in the 1980s and '90s, before starting a career in the Music publisher (popular music), music publishing in ...

, 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

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 pr ...

s. Grey received a Song of the Year Grammy nomination for "Love the Way You Lie". Grey wrote the

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

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 Diddy – Dirty Money was a musical duo consisting of singer-songwriters and dancers Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper in 2009; both artists having been signed to Bad Boy Entertainment.Sherwin, Adam (2010)Preview: Hello, Good Morning from Diddy ...

's single " Coming Home", which gained massive commercial success. Also in 2010, Grey co-wrote "

Castle Walls A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town. Ancient fortifications Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical so ...

" by American rapper T.I. and American pop singer

. On February 1, 2011, American rapper and renowned hip hop producer

released a song titled "

", 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 The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...

, 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

, 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 "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 vo ...

", 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 A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

'' (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 Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light in ...

", was released to radio on June 16. Grey performed alongside aspiring rapper Eli Porter on the September 20, 2011 episode of ''

Tosh.0 ''Tosh.0'' ( ) is an American television series that aired on Comedy Central from June 4, 2009, to November 24, 2020. The series is hosted and produced by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides satirical commentary on online viral video clips, inter ...

''. In October, Grey was featured on American DJ

Kaskade Ryan Gary Raddon (born February 25, 1971), better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. ''DJ Times'' voted Kaskade "America's Best DJ" in 2011 and 2013. ''DJ Mag'' named Kaskade fifty-first on its 200 ...

'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

's 2012 single "

Clarity Clarity may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Clarity, a magic spell in the online game ''EverQuest'' * Clarity, a fictional drug from the film ''Minority Report'' Music Albums * ''Clarity'' (Jimmy Eat World album) * ...

" featuring

Foxes Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, which won the

for

Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...

in 2014. In February 2013, American recording artist

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 DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...

. 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 Stephenie Meyer (; née Morgan; born December 24, 1973) is an American novelist and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire literature, vampire romance series ''Twilight (novel series), Twilight'', which has sold over 100 mill ...

, In April 2013, Grey contributed to

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

'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 release ...

Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...

'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''. On October 17, 2013, Grey previewed a new cover of Robert Palmer'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 ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album is Eminem's last to have the involvement of inde ...

'', on a track titled "Asshole". On January 20, 2014, Grey released a song titled "

Shot Me Down "Shot Me Down" is a song by French French house, house music producer and DJ David Guetta, featuring vocals from American singer Skylar Grey. The song was released on 3 February 2014 as a Music download, digital download. It was produced by Da ...

", 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 ''Need for Speed'' (''NFS'') is a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Criterion Games, the developers of ''Burnout''. The series generally centers around illicit street racing and tasks players to com ...

'' 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 (T.I. album), Paperwork'' (2014). The song, hip hop production, ...

", from his ninth album, ''

Paperwork Paperwork refers to written documents or the work needed to create them. Paperwork may also refer to: * Paperwork reduction, loosening or reducing documentation requirements ** Paperwork Reduction Act, a United States federal law enacted in 1980 * ...

''. In November 2014, Grey featured on ''

Shady XV ''Shady XV'' (stylized as ''SHADYXV'') is a hip hop compilation album performed by various artists of Shady Records. The double disc album was released on November 24, 2014, by Shady Records and Interscope Records. The album was released in honor ...

'', a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

performed by various artists of

Shady Records Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's ''The Slim Shady LP'' (1999). Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...

, on "Twisted" alongside

and

Yelawolf Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. Born in Alabama and raised in Tennessee, he embarked on his career independently in 2005, releasing one extended play (EP) and four mixta ...

. In 2014, Grey teamed up with American rapper

to co-write the song "

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 November ...

", from Minaj's third album, ''

The Pinkprint ''The Pinkprint'' is the third studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj, released on December 15, 2014, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Minaj co-executive-produced the album alongside Birdman, Lil Wayne and Rona ...

''. 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 ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

''.

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

Grey confirmed on her official

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account that her third studio album would be released in 2015. In February 2015, Grey released a song from the ''

Fifty Shades of Grey ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It became the first instalment in the ''Fifty Shades'' novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, ...

'' soundtrack called " I Know You". Also in February, Grey confirmed she has a song on the ''

Furious 7 ''Furious 7'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 7'') is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013) and '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), and ser ...

'' 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 WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...

event, performing a medley of "

Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

" and "Money and the Power" at the thirty-first annual event, with

Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...

and

Kid Ink Brian Todd Collins (born April 1, 1986), known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He released his debut independent album ''Up & Away (Kid Ink album), Up & Away'' in 2012, f ...

. On May 18, 2015, house producer

deadmau5 Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produces ...

released a short demo on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

in collaboration with

, featuring vocals by Grey, titled " Beneath with Me". 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 fashi ...

" for the ''

Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

'' soundtrack. Grey later co-wrote Kehlani and

's song "Good Life" for '' The Fate of the Furious: The Album'' soundtrack. Grey collaborated with

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

's single " Glorious", 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 Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, "Like Home" with

, "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

released his debut

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

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 Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later ...

's " Stand by Me", which was featured in a

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrela ...

Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...

commercial. A portion of the proceeds from the song went to the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

to benefit those affected by natural disasters. A music video was released on February 2, 2018. In an interview with ''

Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...

'' 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

and

, on the album. Later that year, Grey co-wrote and performed the single "Everything I Need", for

James Wan James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...

's superhero blockbuster film ''

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...

''. In May 2019 Grey, along with fellow artists

Jamie N Commons James Nicholas Commons (born 22 October 1988) is a British singer and songwriter, based in New Cross, London. Early life and education Commons was born in Bristol, England, but was raised, in part, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. At age ...

and Gallant, released a new version of

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train (Soul Asylum song), Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rule ...

's 1993 "

Runaway Train A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...

". The video for the song was made in collaboration with the

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Pres ...

and utilizes

geotargeting In geomarketing and internet marketing, geotargeting is the method of delivering different content to visitors based on their geolocation. This includes country, region/state, city, metro code/ zip code, organization, IP address, ISP, or other cri ...

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

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 ''

'', Grey revealed that she had left

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 Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...

''.

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

also released a song featuring Grey titled "Mai Tais". The song was featured on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

show ''Magnum P.I''. On January 17, 2020, Eminem released his eleventh studio album, ''

Music to Be Murdered By ''Music to Be Murdered By'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on January 17, 2020, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Just like Eminem’s previous studio album ''Kamikaze'' ( ...

'', 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 ''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The protagonists in these stories are tweens or young teens who find themselves in scary circumstances usually i ...

", 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

Polo G Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles "Finer Things (Polo G song), Finer Things" and "Pop Out" (featuring Lil Tjay). His debut album ''Die a ...

, 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 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 ...

'' was released on April 28, 2022. On July 15, 2022, Grey's song "My Heart Has Teeth", produced by

, was featured on the soundtrack for the series ''

Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...

''.

Artistry

Musical style and influences

Grey has listed

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

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 sta ...

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 Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...

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 Furay ...

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...

Death Cab for Cutie Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboar ...

and

Alana Davis Alana Schofield Davis (born May 6, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. Her father, Walter Davis Jr., was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. A record deal with Elektra R ...

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."

Discography

* ''

'' (2006) * '' Don't Look Down'' (2013) * ''

'' (2016) * ''

'' (2022)

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Tours

* Don't Look Down Summer US Tour *The Natural Causes Tour

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Grey has been nominated for five Grammys.

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...

Variety's Breakthrough of the Year Awards

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
certified Awards

World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...

References

External links

* * O
Interscope.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Skylar 1986 births Living people American women singer-songwriters American women pianists People from Mazomanie, Wisconsin American female hip hop singers American female hip hop musicians American women rock singers American rock songwriters American multi-instrumentalists 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from Wisconsin 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American pianists Record producers from Wisconsin Singer-songwriters from Wisconsin American jazz singers American electronic musicians American folk singers American pop rock singers