Of “Love the Way You Lie,” Grey says, “There are elements of abuse in any relationship, whether it’s with your boyfriend or your career.” That love-hate for the entertainment business fueled her approach to the song.
The single, as we all know by now, was massive. Fueled by Rihanna’s very public domestic-violence incident with singer Chris Brown, the song went number one in 25 countries and racked up a bounty of accolades, including five Grammy nods. But she remained a faceless contributor...until her demo of the track leaked. (That version appears on Rihanna’s album as a sequel to the original.)
Grey’s partnership with Alex da Kid—who has since produced every song on which she is featured—led to him signing her to his newly minted Wonderland Music imprint through Interscope Records.
“She’s different in a time where most of the Top 40 is similar in a lot of ways,” he says of his sole signee. “She has a true vision for who she wants to be. Every so often you get an artist that comes from left field and does something completely different.”
The two are confident that the music they’re crafting is game changing for pop radio. “We were able to create a sound that is very commercial, but there are also elements of avant-garde,” Grey says. “I don’t think anybody’s doing what we did on this album.”
Grey’s music has the same cinematic beats and atmospheric hooks that made her a must-have on rap, hip-hop and R&B tracks. One song, “Dance Without You,” is an empowering anthem about independence, while another, “Final Warning,” is a rock-tinged ballad brimming with loneliness.
Fans won’t get a proper introduction to Skylar Grey the solo artist until August, when she is slated to take the stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago. It’s rare for an upstart to elicit this much interest before a single, which begs the question, “Who loves this girl?”
Besides the attention-getting Grammy spot, she recently took to the piano and shined alongside Diddy-Dirty Money in an American Idol performance of “Coming Home.”
Though Grey stunningly channels her inner pop diva on the cover of this magazine, she has always been more tomboy than Barbie girl. She admits via email that she was a bit taken for a loop when our stylist first presented the brightly colored silk tops and dresses that were needed for the photo shoot. “I like to be comfortable and confident, so high heels are a rarity, and tight pants that hug my ass make me feel insecure. And I only wear shades of gray—from black to white—because of what the color symbolizes for me spiritually.”
In the end, she took her nervousness, “shifted her body language” and was “pleasantly surprised” by the result. “I have no problem with being dolled up. I love visuals. I just feel there is too much of the sex thing. Comfort influences my style,” she says. “One of the things I’ve always hated is when I go to a concert and see a girl perform in high heels and being so nervous that they’re gonna fall. It makes me uncomfortable watching the show. I’d rather see someone giving their heart and soul to a song and not thinking about their feet.”


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