The Trouble with Being Myself

The Trouble with Being Myself
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 28, 2003 (2003-04-28)
Studio
Genre
Length49:00
LabelEpic
ProducerMacy Gray
Macy Gray chronology
The Id
(2001)
The Trouble with Being Myself
(2003)
The Very Best of Macy Gray
(2004)
Singles from The Trouble with Being Myself
  1. "When I See You"
    Released: April 24, 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The A.V. ClubMixed
Entertainment WeeklyA−
The Guardian
PopMattersPositive
Rolling Stone
SpinB+
Uncut
USA Today
The Village VoiceB+

The Trouble with Being Myself is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray, released on April 28, 2003, by Epic Records. The album peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200, and by February 2007, it had sold 134,000 copies in the United States. Despite not being a major commercial success, The Trouble with Being Myself received mostly positive reviews. The album spawned the single "When I See You".

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Macy Gray.

No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."When I See You"3:43
2."It Ain't the Money" (featuring Pharoahe Monch)
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
  • Beck Hansen
  • Pharoahe Monch
  • Gray
  • DJ Kiilu Grand[a]
4:07
3."She Ain't Right for You"
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
4:12
4."Things That Made Me Change"
4:29
5."Come Together"
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Christopher Thomas
4:35
6."She Don't Write Songs About You"
  • Gray
  • Swann
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
4:39
7."Jesus for a Day"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Meldal-Johnsen
  • Bobby Ross Avila
  • Izzy Avila
3:30
8."My Fondest Childhood Memories"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
3:36
9."Happiness"
  • Gray
  • Swann
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
4:13
10."Speechless"
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
Gray4:06
11."Screamin'"Gray
  • Gray
  • DJ Kiilu Grand[a]
3:16
12."Every Now and Then"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
4:34
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Lie to Me"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
5:34
14."It's Love"
  • Gray
  • Ruzumna
  • Indrizzo
  • Meldal-Johnsen
5:40
Japanese reissue bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."We Will Rock You"Brian May3:03

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies a vocal producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Trouble with Being Myself.

Musicians

  • Macy Gray – vocals (all tracks); backing vocals (tracks 2, 6, 12)
  • Dallas AustinARP, guitar (track 1); programming (tracks 3, 4); backing vocals (track 5)
  • Scott Breadman – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4–8, 12)
  • DJ Kiilu Grand – programming (tracks 1, 2, 11); turntables (tracks 2, 9)
  • Fanny Franklin – backing vocals (tracks 1, 3, 4)
  • Victor Indrizzo – drums (tracks 1–9, 11, 12); guitar (tracks 1, 2, 9); guitar loops (track 5)
  • Adam MacDougallMoog (tracks 1, 3); Hammond (track 10); piano (track 11)
  • Justin Meldal-Johnsen – bass (tracks 1–4, 6–9, 12); backing vocals (track 2)
  • Audra Cunningham Nishita – backing vocals (track 1)
  • Mark Ronson – guitar (tracks 1, 11); programming, turntables (track 2)
  • Jeremy Ruzumna – Wurlitzer (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8–10, 12); synthesizer (tracks 1, 2, 6, 9, 11); piano (tracks 1, 8, 10); turntables (track 2); programming (tracks 2, 5, 10); Moog (tracks 2, 6, 11); Hammond (tracks 3, 5, 8); clavinet (track 5); Chamberlin (track 9); organ (track 12)
  • Sy Smith – backing vocals (tracks 1, 4, 5, 11); choir leader (track 9)
  • Beck – backing vocals, guitar (track 2)
  • Dawn Beckman – backing vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6, 11); choir leader (track 9)
  • Pharoahe Monch – backing vocals (track 2)
  • Chino Smith – backing vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8)
  • David Campbell – string arrangements (tracks 3, 7)
  • Jinsoo Lim – guitar (track 3)
  • Zac Rae – Rhodes (tracks 3, 4); Chamberlin (tracks 3, 4, 8–10); Farfisa (tracks 5, 8); piano (tracks 5, 10); clavinet, organ (track 7); Wurlitzer (tracks 7, 9); tack piano (track 8); synthesizer (track 10)
  • Rick Shepherd – programming (tracks 3, 4, 6)
  • Printz Board – flugelhorn (track 4); trumpet (tracks 4, 12)
  • Arik Marshall – guitar (tracks 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
  • Tom "Tombone" Rawls – trombone (tracks 4, 12)
  • Danielle Thomas – backing vocals (tracks 4, 5, 8)
  • Tracy Wannomae – bass clarinet (track 4); saxophone (track 12)
  • Marsha Ambrosius – backing vocals (track 5); opera vocals (track 8)
  • Steve Baxter – trombone (tracks 5, 12)
  • Charles Green – saxophone (tracks 5, 12)
  • Mike Harris – trumpet (tracks 5, 12)
  • Natalie Stewart – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Chris Thomas – bass (track 5)
  • Darryl Swann – programming (tracks 6, 9); guitar (track 9)
  • Bobby Ross Avila – backing vocals (track 7); piano (tracks 7, 12)
  • Traci Nelson – backing vocals (track 7)
  • Dave Rolicke – saxophone, trombone (track 8)
  • Ericka Yancey – backing vocals (track 8)
  • Logan Duntzelman – kids choir (track 9)
  • Aanisah Hinds – kids choir (track 9)
  • Happy Hinds – kids choir (track 9)
  • Tahmel Hinds – kids choir (track 9)
  • Courtney Johnson – kids choir (track 9)
  • Joia Johnson – kids choir (track 9)
  • Chris Richardson – kids choir (track 9)
  • Sonny Swann – kids choir (track 9)
  • Marina Bambino – percussion (tracks 10, 12); backing vocals (tracks 11, 12)
  • Herb Graham Jr. – drums (track 10)
  • Lukas Haas – acoustic guitar, backing vocals (track 10)
  • Dave Wilder – bass (track 10)
  • Rama Duke – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Mike Elizondo – bass (track 11)
  • Esthero – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Kam Talbert – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Israel Avila – programming (track 12)

Technical

  • Dallas Austin – co-production (tracks 1, 3–5, 7, 8, 12); executive production
  • Dave Way – co-production (tracks 1, 5); recording, mixing, Pro Tools (all tracks)
  • Darryl Swann – vocal production (tracks 1, 7); co-production (tracks 6, 9)
  • Thom Russo – additional mixing (track 1); Pro Tools (all tracks)
  • DJ Kiilu Grand – co-production (tracks 2, 11)
  • Chris Wonzer – additional engineering (tracks 2, 11); engineering assistance (all tracks)
  • Macy Gray – production
  • Mike Melnick – additional engineering
  • Neil Ward – additional engineering
  • Tim Lauber – engineering assistance
  • Christine Sirois – engineering assistance
  • Ted Jensen – mastering

Artwork

Charts

Chart performance for The Trouble with Being Myself
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) 23
Australian Urban Albums (ARIA) 5
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 27
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 22
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) 88
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 18
European Albums (Music & Media) 25
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 19
French Albums (SNEP) 61
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 46
Irish Albums (IRMA) 40
Italian Albums (FIMI) 20
Japanese Albums (Oricon) 53
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 41
Polish Albums (ZPAV) 22
Scottish Albums (OCC) 22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 10
UK Albums (OCC) 17
UK R&B Albums (OCC) 5
US Billboard 200 44
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 29

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for The Trouble with Being Myself
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 60,000^
United States 134,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for The Trouble with Being Myself
Region Date Edition Label Ref.
United Kingdom April 28, 2003 Standard Epic
Japan May 2, 2003 Sony
United States July 15, 2003 Epic
Japan September 10, 2003 Reissue Sony

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