Macy Gray admits she didn’t “really hit it off” with Britney Spears after she interrupted her studio session.
The ‘I Try’ hitmaker was recording in the same studio as Britney when the ‘Toxic’ singer rode into the room on a skateboard, but the 56-year-old star’s fandom made for an awkward exchange.
Appearing on Australia’s ‘The Project’, Macy recalled: “She was in the room down the hall and we looked up and all of a sudden she was skating into our room.
“We talked for a little bit, we didn’t really hit it off. I’m still a groupie to this day. I’m sitting there with Britney Spears, you know, I kinda stuttered, I didn’t know what to say.
“And then she kinda rolled her eyes, whatever I said, she was kinda annoyed by it and she left.”
Despite the uncomfortable meeting, Macy is still huge admirer of the 42-year-old pop star, and she listens to her 2007 album ‘Blackout’ before she goes on stage.
She said: “Best album ever – one of them, anyway!”
As well as lead single ‘Gimme More’, the record also features hits like ‘Piece of Me’ and ‘Break The Ice’.
Macy picked ‘Radar’ as her favourite song on the LP, and revealed how the collection as a whole gives her some “courage” before she steps out on stage to perform.
Pondering why she is so drawn to the LP, she added: “I dunno, it’s just – let’s go, you know? It gives me a little bit of courage.
We all have that little thing that makes you go. For some people it’s just coffee, for me it’s the Blackout album!”
For Macy, this year marks 25 years since her debut album ‘On How Life Is’ topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK R+B rankings, while its second single ‘I Try’ was number one in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
Asked when she knew it was a hit, she said: “It was actually in England and I was touring, my manager called and he said, ‘Your album is number one’. I said, ‘What does that mean?’
“And he said, ‘That means they listen to your song more than anybody else’s.’ And then I got to New York at that was the first time I got mobbed.”