CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Admit it -- you have probably sung along to Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly" during the early stages of love, or "Creep" by Radiohead while feeling a little more damaged inside. So has Macy Gray. But she didn't stop there.
Gray's new album, Covered, is not only eclectic and adventurous, but also a clear reflection of the artist herself.
"Of course I'm a fan of all those songs," Gray said. She fell in love with the lyrics of a wide range of hits, including those mentioned, as well as "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West and "Here Comes the Rain Again" by The Eurythmics. The key to choosing the right song for this album, Gray said, was finding one she could spin in her own peculiar, dark, twisty kind of way while of course wielding her signature raspy voice. Covered seems particularly dark with a tone that Gray said is akin to "hiding in a dark closet."
It's been two years since Gray released The Sellout, with a title track that takes a dig at a music industry in tumult as artists grapple with reduced album sales, a heavily reliance on revenue from touring, and piracy. But Macy Gray can't be held down by any of that. Filmmakers are increasingly captivated by her unique star quality, prompting them to cast Gray in pictures like Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls and out director Lee Daniels's upcoming film The Paperboy. Gray has a particular affinity for Daniels, who she calls "really awesome" and whose own success with Precious nearly won him an Academy Award in 2010.
"He's different. He's loud," she said of Daniels. "He wants to get exactly what he wants. He's really an extraordinary guy and a very interesting guy. He's probably one of the most open people I've met. He's not afraid to talk about anything."
The film, starring Zac Efron, John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey, and Nicole Kidman, is about a journalist tasked with returning to his home town in Florida to investigate the case of a death row inmate. But being on set with Kidman was, by far, the most memorable thing about the shoot for Gray.
"I just remember I couldn't keep my eyes off Nicole Kidman," Gray said. "I was just star-struck, and I haven't been star-struck in a long time. I think I freaked her out."
Gray isn't one to conform with expectations. With big, natural hair, outlandish outfits, and her love of Metallica, Gray happily defies her persona as simply a soul singer. Gray sees the soul in bands like Sublime and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs because, in the end, good song writing is good song writing. She says all of her love songs should just resonate with anyone feeling a little love-struck. All of her breakup songs should resonate with anyone who's just been dumped. She knows she has some songs that play particularly well at gay events, but Gray says her song writing -- and in the case of Covered, song selection -- knows no gender or orientation when it comes to audience. Men and women, straight, gay, and in between can all relate.
Gray has performed at countless benefits for organizations such as the AIDS Project Los Angeles, The Advocate's own 45th anniversary party, and gay pride events across the country. Anywhere she sees a "fight against separatism or discrimination," Gray wants to join in.
"I have a lot of gay people in my life, so it never occurred to me to not support [gay rights] or to discriminate, or have any kind of separatism," she said.
Gray is always surrounded by gay people, so she can't help but feel a connection to the LGBT community, she said. "It's a very powerful community in music. And, we've all been gay on occasion, you know?" she says with a laugh.
Watch the videos on the following pages for "Smoke Two Joints," popularized by Sublime, "Creep," originally performed by Radiohead, and a live performance of "Teenagers," originally by My Chemical Romance.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
LGBTQ+ women face more challenges than men in running for office: report
March 27 2024 5:33 PM
Houthis sentence 9 men to death on dubious 'sodomy' charges in Yemen
March 27 2024 2:39 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedBreaking boundaries in gender-free fashion with Stuzo Clothing
March 27 2024 2:15 PM
BREAKING: Nex Benedict's autopsy report released
March 27 2024 1:00 PM
Meta is failing its LGBTQ+ users, says new GLAAD report
March 27 2024 12:24 PM
79% of American workers say anti-LGBTQ+ laws impact where they move: report
March 27 2024 11:41 AM
Plus
Yahoo FeedInjectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 10:45 PM
Ronna McDaniel, tied up by her Trump lies, drowns in an aquarium of her own making
March 26 2024 9:00 PM
The ultimate guide to cannabis in Provincetown
March 26 2024 6:40 PM
New York Times fails to include trans voices in coverage, say GLAAD, Media Matters
March 26 2024 6:31 PM