Skylar Grey has revealed the title, cover art, and release date for her upcoming album, Wasted Potential. The project draws from her personal experiences and musical roots, with a release scheduled for May 22. It follows three singles that explore themes of self-rediscovery and reconnecting with music.
Skylar Grey's new album, titled Wasted Potential, builds on the anticipation from her recent singles: “Nirvana”, “Motivation”, and “Come”. The title echoes a line from “Motivation”, and the songs feature melodic rhythms with deeper narratives about rediscovering oneself and rebuilding a relationship with music. Grey returned to her childhood home in Minnesota for inspiration, incorporating nostalgic elements from the music she loved as a youth, which lends the project a comforting and reassuring tone.
Grey's career has been marked by significant highs and lows. Coming from a family of musicians, she began performing early in life. In her early 20s, she wrote “Love The Way You Love”, a track reflecting struggles with a toxic dynamic in the music industry. In an interview, she described its origins: “The song itself was very personal. I never had written a track before. Alex [Da Kid] sent me this track, and I just sang whatever I felt over it, you know? It was a very personal lyric based on my experience, not only with my ex-boyfriend but also with the music industry. Feeling like there was something in me that loved to be tortured and loved the misery, because I kept getting sucked back into situations. That’s what “Love The Way You Lie” was about. Then a month later it was the No. 1 song. Eminem had cut it. Rihanna had cut it. I was broke living in a cabin in the woods and this was all happening and suddenly I had the biggest song in the world as a songwriter. Fucking crazy.”
Following the success of “Love The Way You Lie”, Grey released the album Don’t Look Down, executive produced by Eminem. She later faced challenges, including losing rights to her music catalogue and a writing block, before resuming work as an independent artist. Notable achievements include contributing a song to the Venom franchise as a writer, producer, and singer, marking her first Billboard Hot 100 entry as a lead artist.
Grey describes the new project as “restoring passion and drive for music”. Her collaborations with Eminem span over a dozen songs, including tours together, and she holds the distinction of being the first woman with production credits on one of his tracks. Only Eminem's 2018 album Kamikaze lacks her involvement since 2010. Fans anticipate a possible feature from Eminem, given thematic alignments, though no confirmation exists.
Wasted Potential arrives on May 22.
