On How Life Is

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.[2][3]

On How Life Is
Studio album by
Macy Gray
ReleasedJuly 1, 1999 (1999-07-01)
Studio
Genre
Length44:55
Label
ProducerAndrew Slater
Macy Gray chronology
On How Life Is
(1999)		 The Id
(2001)
Singles from On How Life Is
  1. "Do Something"
    Released: July 28, 1999[1]
  2. "I Try"
    Released: September 27, 1999
  3. "Still"
    Released: February 21, 2000
  4. "Why Didn't You Call Me"
    Released: July 24, 2000

The album's second single, "I Try", became an international success, topping the charts in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand,[4][5] while reaching number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.[6] The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001.[7]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Sun-Times[9]
Entertainment WeeklyB[10]
The Guardian[11]
The Independent[12]
Los Angeles Times[13]
Muzik[14]
Q[15]
Rolling Stone[16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[17]

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."[15]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Macy Gray. All tracks are produced by Andrew Slater.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Why Didn't You Call Me"Jeremy Ruzumna3:14
2."Do Something"
4:57
3."Caligula"
  • Gray
  • Swann
  • Ruzumna
4:38
4."I Try"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Jinsoo Lim
  • David Wilder
3:59
5."Sex-o-matic Venus Freak"
  • Ruzumna
  • Murdock
3:57
6."I Can't Wait to Meetchu"
5:18
7."Still"
  • Ruzumna
  • Bill Esses
4:15
8."I've Committed Murder"
4:59
9."A Moment to Myself"
4:00
10."The Letter"
5:38
Australian and Japanese edition bonus track[18][19]
No.TitleMusicLength
11."Rather Hazy"Gray3:10

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of On How Life Is.[20]

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

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[62] 4× Platinum 280,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[63] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[64] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[65] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[66] Gold 20,496[66]
France (SNEP)[67] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[68] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[69] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[70] 4× Platinum 60,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[71] Platinum 50,000*
Sweden (GLF)[72] Gold 40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[73] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[75] 3× Platinum 3,400,000[3]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[76] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Label Ref.
Japan July 1, 1999 Sony [19]
United States July 27, 1999 Epic [77]

References
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