On How Life Is

On How Life Is is Macy Gray's 1999 debut, introducing her distinctive raspy voice across a blend of contemporary R&B, neo-soul, hip hop and pop soul. The record balances soulful ballads and groove-driven numbers with warm, often sparse instrumentation, smoky piano, and hip hop-tinged rhythms, and features the breakout single "I Try". The album established Gray's idiosyncratic vocal delivery and offbeat songwriting within the late 1990s urban pop and soul landscape.