Grayground
Grayground | |
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Studio album by Gray | |
Released | August 17, 2021 (2021-08-17) |
Genre |
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Length | 36:04 |
Language | Korean |
Label | AOMG |
Producer | Gray |
Singles from Grayground | |
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Grayground (stylized as grayground.) is the debut studio album of South Korean singer and record producer Gray. It was released on August 17, 2021 through AOMG.
Singles
"I Don't Love You" was pre-released on August 10, 2021. It charted at number 121 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[1]
Music and lyrics
Grayground encompasses trendy mainstream black music genres such as trap, funk, emo rap and dancehall with a strong touch of pop. It has songs with delicate instrumental composition such as "Rise", whose energetic rhythm creates a refreshing mood; "Ready to Love", which features rippling horn sounds; and "Eternal Sunshine", which features Jason Lee's sentimental saxophone performance in its postlude.[2] The pre-release single "I Don't Love You" is a song about ending a relationship without regret. It has an "addictive melody" and "lyrics you can empathize with".[3] The lead single "Party for the Night" is a cheerful party song with Lee Hi's catchy hook and Loco's smooth rap. It features modernized beats and melodies that drew inspiration from 90's hip-hop.[4]
Critical reception
Hwang Duha of Rhythmer rated Grayground 2.5 out of 5 stars. He pointed out that the various guest appearances on the album do not create synergy and steal the spotlight from Gray. Overall, he found Grayground to be a smoothly produced album that does not leave a strong impression.[2]
Lim Seon-hui of IZM rated "I Don't Love You" 2.5 out of 5 stars. According to Lim, "I Don't Love You" does its job okay as a pre-release single, but the song itself lacks attractiveness because Gray's relaxed melodic rap performance on a melancholy guitar riff is bland.[5]
Year-end lists
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
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Rolling Stone India | 10 Best Korean Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2021 | 2 | [6] |
Track listing
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
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1. | "Show Window" (featuring pH-1) |
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| Gray | 3:00 |
2. | "Selfish" (featuring Woo) |
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| 3:29 |
3. | "Make Love" (featuring Zion.T) |
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| 2:34 |
4. | "Rise" (featuring DeVita) |
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| 3:19 |
5. | "I Don't Love You" (featuring Coogie) |
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| Gray | 3:18 |
6. | "Party for the Night" (featuring Loco & Lee Hi) |
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| Gray | 2:53 |
7. | "Close 2 U" (featuring Punchnello) |
| Gray | Gray | 3:18 |
8. | "Ready to Love" (featuring Hoody) |
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| 3:38 |
9. | "Eternal Sunshine" (없던 일로 해; Eopdeon illo hae) (featuring Meenoi) |
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| 4:14 |
10. | "Baby Don't Cry" (featuring Yumdda) |
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| Gray | 3:01 |
11. | "U" | Gray | Gray | Gray | 3:20 |
Total length: | 36:04 |
Charts
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
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South Korean Albums (Gaon)[7] | 14 |
Sales
Region | Sales |
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South Korea[8] | 4,500 |
References
- ^ "2021년 33주차 Digital Chart" [2021 Week 33 Digital Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean).
- ^ a b Hwang, Duha (September 26, 2021). "그레이 - grayground" [Gray - grayground.]. Rhythmer (in Korean).
- ^ Kim, Hyeon-deok (August 11, 2021). "그레이, 'I Don't Love You (Feat. 쿠기)' 선공개…'grayground. 기대 더한 퀄리티'" [Gray pre-releases "I Don't Love You (Feat. Coogie)"... Its quality makes the expectation of grayground. higher]. Single List (in Korean).
- ^ Kwak, Kristine (September 12, 2021). "Song You Need to Know: Gray, 'Party for the Night'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Lim, Seon-hui (August 2021). "I don't love you (Feat. 쿠기)" [I don't love you (Feat. Coogie)]. IZM (in Korean).
- ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (December 29, 2021). "10 Best Korean Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone India.
- ^ "2021년 34주차 Album Chart" [2021 Week 34 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean).
- ^ "2021년 08월 Album Chart" [2021 August Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean).