Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.

But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.

Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.

We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.

MACY GRAY

Macy Gray—born Natalie McIntyre—introduced herself with the platinum busting, GRAMMY Award-winning album On How Life Is (1999). Straddling a space between neo-soul and broader pop, Gray achieved success quickly. It would have been easy for her to have engaged in a repeat performance of On How Life Is, instead Gray deepened her idiosyncratic funk with her sophomore LP, the id (2001).

It is true that the id didn’t live up to the commercial bar set with On How Life Is, what it did do was ensconce Gray into the popular music consciousness as a vibrant presence. With each of the next eight albums following the id, Gray blazed a singular path in modern R&B and beyond. That sort of genre-hopping bravery—without a care in the world for any commercial concern—has captivated me for well over twenty years.

Quentin’s 3 Favorite Macy Gray Albums of All Time:

1. the id (2001)
2. Ruby (2018)
3. The Trouble with Being Myself (2003)

LISTEN & WATCH: