The only thing Loren Gray is “Guilty” for is showing his fans who he really is.
The social media personality has released her highly anticipated debut album. Guilty on Friday. In light of the broadcast, Gray spoke with PEOPLE about how the record symbolizes growth and recovery.
“I feel like a story [behind Guilty] I was using music as this therapeutic tool to come to my senses and let my thoughts out. I am a person who has trouble expressing my feelings and my communication skills are often very poor,” 21-year-old Gray tells PEOPLE privately. “Ask any of my ex-boyfriends.”
Gray was able to process several different aspects of his life throughout his creation. On “Never Be Perfect,” she realized that she was “not always the best person to be with or the easiest person to be with.”
“I have a tendency to push people away,” she admits. “[I also confronted] This is the part of me that doesn’t always want to get out of bed in the morning and doesn’t want to be Loren Gray every day.”
Maya Spangler
On the other hand, she wanted to include songs like “I Told You That” and “It Takes 2” for an empowering moment to hang out with her friends.
“The first time my friends were writing a song was when I really felt free. I wanted to have songs that would be fun to listen to,” she says. “I do a lot of karaoke. Every party I threw at my house had karaoke and everyone had to attend. That’s why I wanted to have those moments too.”
Guilty It was a pandemic project that Gray began writing at the age of 18. Looking back, the biggest thing he learned in the process is that he was “good enough”.
“I started to be very critical of myself. I’ve always been like that, but it’s gotten worse during this time. I’ve also learned that I don’t need anyone to be whole,” she says. “I always feel like I’m looking for a boyfriend or someone to hold on to and I’ve had a hard time standing on my own two feet. brought.”
Gray released his debut single “My Story” in 2018. Now, after the release of her first album, she thought about how far she’s come since then.
“Loren, who released ‘My Story’ in 2018, cried the night that song came out, I hated it. And looking back, it’s so sweet. I was young, I was 16, I was new,” she recalls. “Although at the time there was no place for me to have an opinion as these views were unheard of, I wish I knew I was worthy enough and wise enough.”
“Many times I felt really stupid sitting in rooms with people and my opinions didn’t matter. What I said was worthless, but I knew what I was talking about,” he continued.
As an OG content creator, Gray knows what he wants and stands for, and is ready to share that side of himself with his audience.
“How long have I been on social media? It’s been seven years and eight years. And people are starting to see my life playing out in front of everyone all the time,” she says. “But most of the time, I feel like the truth and emotions you felt while all this was going on were overlooked. I want people to be able to connect with me on that level.”
Guilty it’s out now