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.
| Grayground | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | August 17, 2021 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 36:04 |
| Language | Korean |
| Label | AOMG |
| Producer | Gray |
| Singles from Grayground | |
| |
Singles
edit"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
editGrayground 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
editHwang 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
edit| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stone India | 10 Best Korean Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2021 | 2 | [6] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Show Window" (featuring pH-1) |
|
| Gray | 3:00 |
| 2. | "Selfish" (featuring Woo) |
|
|
| 3:29 |
| 3. | "Make Love" (featuring Zion.T) |
|
|
| 2:34 |
| 4. | "Rise" (featuring DeVita) |
|
|
| 3:19 |
| 5. | "I Don't Love You" (featuring Coogie) |
|
| Gray | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Party for the Night" (featuring Loco & Lee Hi) |
|
| Gray | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Close 2 U" (featuring Punchnello) |
| Gray | Gray | 3:18 |
| 8. | "Ready to Love" (featuring Hoody) |
|
|
| 3:38 |
| 9. | "Eternal Sunshine" (없던 일로 해; Eopdeon illo hae) (featuring Meenoi) |
|
|
| 4:14 |
| 10. | "Baby Don't Cry" (featuring Yumdda) |
|
| Gray | 3:01 |
| 11. | "U" | Gray | Gray | Gray | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 36:04 | ||||
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korean Albums (Gaon)[7] | 14 |
Sales
edit| Region | Sales |
|---|---|
| South Korea[8] | 4,500 |
References
edit- ^ "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).