On How Life Is
1999 studio album by Macy Gray
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On How Life Is is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on July 1, 1999, by Epic Records and Clean Slate. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.4 million copies in the United States and seven million copies worldwide.[6][7]
ReleasedJuly 1, 1999
Studio
- Paramount (Hollywood)
- Sunset Sound (Hollywood)
- A&M (Hollywood)
Length44:55
| On How Life Is | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1, 1999 | |||
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| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 44:55 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Andrew Slater | |||
| Macy Gray chronology | ||||
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| Singles from On How Life Is | ||||
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The album's second single, "I Try", became an international success, topping the charts in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand,[8][9] while reaching number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.[10] The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001.[11]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [13] |
| Robert Christgau | [14] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[15] |
| The Guardian | [16] |
| The Independent | [17] |
| Los Angeles Times | [18] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[19] |
| Q | [20] |
| Rolling Stone | [21] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [22] |
On How Life Is was met with highly positive reviews from music critics upon its release, with many praising Gray's songwriting and vocal performance. Q rated the album four out of five stars, calling it a "confident, bluesy soul debut [...] with a lived-in sound – as if Rod Stewart were a girl."[20]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Macy Gray. All tracks are produced by Andrew Slater.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Didn't You Call Me" | Jeremy Ruzumna | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Do Something" | 4:57 | |
| 3. | "Caligula" |
| 4:38 |
| 4. | "I Try" |
| 3:59 |
| 5. | "Sex-o-matic Venus Freak" |
| 3:57 |
| 6. | "I Can't Wait to Meetchu" |
| 5:18 |
| 7. | "Still" |
| 4:15 |
| 8. | "I've Committed Murder" |
| 4:59 |
| 9. | "A Moment to Myself" |
| 4:00 |
| 10. | "The Letter" |
| 5:38 |
Sample credits
- "Do Something" contains a sample of "Git Up, Git Out" by OutKast and "Funky for You" by Nice & Smooth.
- "I've Committed Murder" contains a sample of "Live Right Now" by Eddie Harris and an interpolation of "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" by Francis Lai & His Orchestra.
- "A Moment to Myself" contains a sample of "Human Beat Box" by The Fat Boys, excerpts of "The Wildstyle" by Time Zone, and a sample of "Entropy (Hip Hop Reconstruction from the Ground Up)" by DJ Shadow & the Groove Robbers.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of On How Life Is.[25]
Musicians
- Macy Gray – lead vocals, vocal arrangements (all tracks); backing vocals (tracks 1, 3–5, 10)
- Dawn Beckman – backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–9)
- Musiic Galloway – backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–10)
- Jeremy Ruzumna – backing vocals (track 1); organ (tracks 1, 4–6, 8); piano (tracks 1, 7, 10); electric piano, Moog (track 2); Farfisa, clavinet (track 3); Rhodes (tracks 5, 6); Optigan, Chamberlin (track 10)
- David Wilder – backing vocals (track 1); bass (tracks 1, 4)
- Jinsoo Lim – guitar (tracks 1, 2)
- Arik Marshall – guitar (tracks 1, 7–10)
- Lenny Castro – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 7–9)
- Matt Chamberlain – percussion (tracks 1, 3, 9, 10); drums (all tracks)
- Darryl Swann – backing vocals, guitar (track 3); programming (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8–10); vocal arrangements (all tracks)
- DJ Kiilu – turntables (tracks 2, 8, 9); programming (track 8)
- Jon Brion – Chamberlin (tracks 2, 3, 8, 10); synths (tracks 3, 8); guitar (tracks 3–6, 8–10); piano (tracks 4, 10); orchestra bells (track 4); vibes (tracks 7, 8); marimba (track 8); Optigan (track 10)
- Patrick Warren – vibes (track 2); Chamberlin (tracks 2–4, 7, 8); synths (track 3); Rhodes, Wurlitzer (track 9)
- Dion Derek Murdock – bass (tracks 2, 6)
- Sy Smith – backing vocals (tracks 3, 5, 7)
- Bendrix Williams – guitar (track 4)
- Rami Jaffee – synths (track 5); piano, Optigan, Chamberlin (track 10)
- Blackbyrd McKnight – guitar (track 5)
- Gabriel Moses – guitar (track 5)
- Steve Baxter – horn (track 6)
- Charlie Green – horn (track 6)
- Michael Harris – horn (track 6)
- Miles Tackett – guitar (track 6)
- Greg Richling – bass (tracks 6–10)
- David Campbell – string arrangement (track 7)
- Jay Joyce – guitar (track 7)
- Ngozi Inyama – sax solo (track 8)
Technical
- Andrew Slater – production
- Dave Way – recording, mixing
- Darryl "D-Style" Swann – additional engineering
- Howard Willing – first assistant engineer
- Dave Reed – second assistant engineer
- Kevin Dean – second assistant engineer
- Jeff Walch – second assistant engineer
- Michelle Forbes – second assistant engineer
- Sherry Sutcliff – production coordination
Artwork
- Stéphane Sednaoui – photography
- Hooshik – art direction, design
- Frank Harkins – art direction
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[70] | 4× Platinum | 280,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[71] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA)[72] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[73] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Denmark | — | 59,134[74] |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[75] | Gold | 20,496[75] |
| France (SNEP)[76] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[77] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[78] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[79] | 4× Platinum | 60,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[80] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[81] | Gold | 40,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[82] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[83] | 4× Platinum | 1,200,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[84] | 3× Platinum | 3,400,000[7] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[85] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||