Few songwriters have left a mark on modern music quite like Skylar Grey.
From penning era-defining hits for Eminem, Rihanna and Zedd to carving out her own path as a solo artist, the five time GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter has spent years balancing commercial success with deeply personal storytelling.
Her latest album, Wasted Potential, sees Grey at her most honest yet, revisiting childhood memories, self discovery and the complicated emotions tied to growing up in small town Wisconsin. The release also marks the beginning of a heavier creative chapter, following her collaboration with Motionless In White on ‘R.I.P.’.
We caught up with Skylar Grey to talk about Wasted Potential, experimenting with her self described “bubblegrunge” sound, stepping into the metal world and what she’d love to explore next.
You’ve written songs that have become part of pop culture, but Wasted Potential feels like your most personal work yet. Was it more intimidating to write about yourself than to write for someone else?
Grey: No it’s way scarier to write for someone else because you’re setting yourself up for potential rejection… when someone passes on a song I wrote for them it stings. I much prefer to write for myself and express myself creatively without that judgement barrier.
You describe songwriting as “performing autopsies on past versions” of yourself. When you revisited those memories for this album, did you discover anything that surprised you about who you were back then?
Grey: There weren’t any surprises, but diving that deep into the nuances and micro fractures of my past brought me deeper understanding and compassion for myself. It helped me forgive myself and let go of guilt and self criticism I’d been subconsciously carrying.
You call the album’s sound “bubblegrunge” which is such a vivid description. If someone has never heard that term before (myself included), what does bubblegrunge feel like to you?
Grey: I grew up on 90’s pop and grunge, everything from Nirvana to Spice Girls. Rather than fully commuting to one genre, I felt it was more authentic for me to blend both- hence Bubblegrunge.
You’ve just collaborated with Motionless In White on “R.I.P.”, your first release with a metal band. Did stepping into that heavier world unlock something creatively that you’d like to explore again?
Grey: Absolutely. I’ve always been drawn to darker music and aesthetics. But because of my more pop sensibilities, experience and success, I guess I never really gave myself permission to go down that road. Entering that territory was way outside my comfort zone. But having this collab happen so organically and successfully blew that door open for me, and I definitely plan on exploring it more.
Your career has taken you from writing global hits behind the scenes to stepping back into the spotlight with deeply personal music. Do those two creative mindsets ever compete with each other, or do they actually make each other stronger?
Grey: It’s nice to do both, because I’m highly creative and have trouble sticking to one genre. So doing both lets me have multiple creative outlets.
Your new album explores everything from spirituality to self-worth and mental health. Was there a song that almost felt too vulnerable to release, but ultimately had to be included?
Grey: I’ve never been scared to release vulnerable music, because I know there will always be at least one other person in the world who will relate, and who may benefit from hearing it. So for me it’s worth it just for that. The song Bruises is for sure the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written… and I couldn’t be more proud to have it out in the world helping people to feel less alone in their inner struggles.
You once chased the excitement of escaping small town Wisconsin, but you’ve spoken about now appreciating the simplicity of where you grew up. Looking back, do you think we sometimes have to leave home before we can really understand it?
Grey: Yeah I think no matter where we grow up, it’s hard to appreciate the good parts until we leave and flip our perspective. It’s true with other things too… love, a comfortable bed… lol. We don’t know what we got till it’s gone!
You’ve collaborated with artists across hip-hop, pop, rock and now metal. Is genre something you still think about, or has music simply become one big creative playground for you?
Grey: It’s always been a big creative playground for me, and the thought of genres only started interfering when I really got into the industry and realized it’s a huge challenge to market a chameleon. That’s why it’s helpful for me to do all these collaborations in different genres. But also, I feel like we are in a time in music where genre is mattering less and less… there’s so much genre blending happening and people only really care if it’s a dope song or not.
Many fans first discovered your songwriting through artists like Eminem, Diddy and Zedd, but newer listeners are finding you first. Does that shift change the way you think about your legacy?
Grey: Well as much as I love collaborating, I would love for people to give more fucks about my solo stuff because closest to my heart. But I don’t really think about legacy… I just think about wanting to continue being able to have fun making music and keep making a living doing it… I never want to be forced to make music I don’t enjoy just to survive financially.
If Wasted Potential is the album that introduces someone to Skylar Grey for the very first time, what’s the one thing you hope they understand about you by the time the final song ends?
Grey: I hope they understand that at the core I’m just an average Midwestern girl finding my way through life, making mistakes, dealing with universal emotions… I want them to understand my slightly messy story and respect my journey, because I feel like a lot of people will relate and it will help them feel seen.
Who is your ultimate collaboration goal when it comes to the more Metal/Alternative side of music?
Grey: To be honest I haven’t put a lot of thought into this yet because I never thought it would be territory I would enter. So far I haven’t discovered screaming as a hidden talent of mine haha… so it would have to be a collaboration that makes sense for me to infuse my softer tone into. Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens… give me suggestions!
Hmmm – Twiztid, Deftones, Guilt Trip, Counterparts, Windwaker… There are so many!
Can we expect to see you in Australia any time soon?
Grey: I wish! Nothing on the books but in this industry that could change on very short notice.
Skylar Grey ‘Wasted Potential’ track list
- Burn It Down (Intro)
- Nirvana
- Motivation
- Plastic Water Bottles
- Black n’ Blue
- Come
- Spine
- Unfaithful
- Bruises
- Bullshit
- Cool Kids
- That’ll Be Fine
Stream Skylar Grey’s ‘Wasted Potential’ here
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