Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and a recording contract with Linkin Park's Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. Her debut studio album, Like Blood Like Honey (2006), served as her only release with the label.
As a child, Grey performed professionally in a folk duo with her mother, Candace Kreitlow,[7] called Generations.[8] 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.[10][11] In early 2010, she performed in the theatrical version of "Whisper House," playing one of the two lead ghost vocalists, along with David Poe.[12] 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.[13]
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".[14][15] 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".[16] 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.[17] In 2010, Grey also co-wrote and was featured on Diddy – Dirty Money's single "Coming Home", which gained massive commercial success.[18] Also in 2010, Grey co-wrote "Castle Walls" by American rapper T.I. and American pop singer Christina Aguilera.[19] On February 1, 2011, American renowned hip hop producer Dr. Dre released a song titled "I Need a Doctor", featuring Eminem and Grey.[20] "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.[21] 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.[22] The song later received a music video, which was released on July 5.[23] Grey's second single and formerly her second album's title-track, "Invisible", was released to radio on June 16.[24][25] 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.[26]
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.[27][28]
In February 2013, American recording artist CeeLo Green released a single titled "Only You", which he co-wrote with Grey.[30] On March 8, 2013, Grey performed a six-song set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV.[31] 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,[32] In April 2013, Grey contributed to will.i.am's fourth solo album #willpower, on the song "Love Bullets".[33]
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.[34] The album was preceded by the singles "C'mon Let Me Ride",[35] "Final Warning",[36] and "Wear Me Out".[37] 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.[38]
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.[48]
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".[49] On October 6, 2016, a music video for the song was released.[50]
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",[51] and "Lemonade".[52][53] In the fall of 2016, Grey went on her Natural Causes Tour with morgxn.[54]
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.[57][58] 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.[59]
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".[60]
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",[61] which was featured in a BudweiserSuper Bowl LII commercial.[62] A portion of the proceeds from the song went to the American Red Cross to benefit those affected by natural disasters.[63] A music video was released on February 2, 2018.[64]
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.[65] Later that year, Grey co-wrote and performed the single "Everything I Need", for James Wan's superhero blockbuster film Aquaman.[66][67]
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".[70]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.[71] 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.”.[72]
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".[73] 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.[74]
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.[75]
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.[76]
On July 14, 2020, Grey revealed her then-upcoming album title, Dark Thoughts.[77] The project was preceded by the singles "Dark Thoughts", a cover of "Goosebumps",[78] and "Sunscreen".[79][80] The project was eventually scrapped as Grey announced she started working on a new album via various social platforms on January 16, 2021.[81] Some singles released in 2020 were compiled as part of Make It Through the Day - EP, released on November 6, 2020.[82]
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.[85]
On July 15, 2022, Grey's song "My Heart Has Teeth", produced by deadmau5, was featured on the soundtrack for the series Resident Evil.[86] On October 27, 2022, Grey's song "Walking On Fire", produced by Th3rdstream, was featured on the soundtrack for the series Vampire Academy.[87]
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).[88][89] Grey released her next album Lofi Chill Vibes with Skylar Grey on August 11, 2023, featuring lo-fi versions of Grey's back catalog.[90]
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."[95] 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."[96]
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.[97] Grey is currently engaged to Taylor.[98]
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