Big

Performer: Macy Gray
Artist: Natalie Cole; Fergie; Will.I.Am; Justin Timberlake
Producer: Ron Fair; Macy Gray; Will.I.Am
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: On her first two albums Macy Gray proudly inherited the R&B freak flag previously flown by Betty Davis in the 1970s. Unlike Davis, however, Gray has managed to hang around after her initial goosing of the pop establishment. While it's not quite accurate to call BIG a comeback album, Gray was more often seen on the big screen than heard on the radio following 2003's THE TROUBLE WITH BEING MYSELF. And the fact that Gray called in pop music script doctor Will.i.am to produce also gives one the sense that she's thinking, well, BIG. Thankfully, Willi.i.am puts Gray's greatest virtue, her voice, front and center, and expertly splits the difference between old-school soul jams and space-age dancefloor funk. The album is as much a testament to Will.i.am's restraint and adaptability as a producer, as it is a forum for Gray's distinct take on soul music. The people want certain things, though, and Will.i.am and Macy aren't above the game, as superstar cameos including Fergie and J.T. abound. Still, you could do a lot worse than the clever JB-sampling groover "Ghetto Love" and the synth-pop stomp of "Everybody" when it comes to making hits.

Entertainment Weekly (p.71) - "Single 'Shoo Be Doo' is a winning bit of retro R&B -- Gray wraps her sultry wheeze around a comfortable groove..." -- Grade: B- Q (p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[B]oosted by Gray's bon vivant exuberance....The record is righteously dominated by Gray's larger-than-life presence."

Macy Gray took soul music back to its natural roots with her acclaimed 1999 debut, ON HOW LIFE IS, updating old-school R&B with a few modern touches. Gray's sound is partly Lauryn Hill-style conscious hip-hop, and part a Lenny Kravitz/Neneh Cherry rock-R&B hybrid. Since her startling debut, she's collaborated with everyone from Slick Rick and Fatboy Slim to famed producer Rick Rubin, also making her screen-acting debut in the 2001 Denzel Washington movie, TRAINING DAY.

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