Almost a full 2 months ago, Stanley Ray dropped his 3rd album kindly titled ‘This Is Me‘. Some might call it an Audio Diary Entry, some might call it “a digital letter to his fans”, Ray simply calls it his “most personal” album so far in his short career. Having experienced an overwhelming amount of struggles and mental health issues in the years prior to the album’s conception, this record paints a painfully beautiful portrait of the androgynous baby faced singer.
“Before recording this album, I lived through one of the most hardest times in my life,” he says. “Anxiety and depression are nothing new to me, but it was definitely at it’s worst during this particular time.”
The album speaks on mental health, family trauma, heartbreak, and love (of course). “There’s a couple songs on the album that aren’t dark or sad that speak on love, intimacy, or sexual attraction. I definitely wanted to still include songs with those kinds of topics. I used ‘The Velvet Rope’ by Janet Jackson and ‘My Life’ by Mary J. Blige, and a couple of Eminem’s early albums as inspiration when recording this record. All those albums are personal and dark in their own ways, plus all those albums were safety nets for me because of how deep they were. But I can’t lie, I was hesitant about releasing this record. I’m really letting people into my world with this one.”
The first and lead single ‘Attractive’ is an upbeat song that has a double meaning; being sexually attracted to someone and their vibe while also being magnetically attracted to them at the same time. This is just one of the many examples of how good of a lyricist Ray is, with songs such as ‘All Over Me’ and ‘Why I Love You’. He wasn’t really involved with anyone “romantically” during the making of the album, but he says he’s been in love only once before in his life. “I’ve been in love before so I know how to go back to that place and write from it,” he says, which goes hand in hand with songs like ‘A Pain Like This’, where Ray delivers a beautiful heart tugging and tear jerking vocal performance, and ‘Tearicle’, where he sings in a light airy and beautiful alto tone over the songs soft sentimental nostalgic beat, and the song ‘Last Time’, where he sings about refusing to let his love interest use and string him along any longer and finally cuts ties with them.
All 3 songs speak on the topic of heartbreak and emotional distress when in a toxic or unhealthy romantic relationship. “I’m 24 and I can’t say I’ve ever had a real solid relationship before in my life,” he says. “I was 16 when I fell in love with another boy for the first time. It wasn’t a physical relationship though. But over the years I realized the other person checked out of the relationship long before I was aware of it. That’s why I don’t consider it a ‘real solid mutual relationship’. In my mind, we were together 5 months but to him it was probably barely a few weeks. I was the only one in love, he didn’t love me. Not to mention, I wasn’t a ‘white boy with blue eyes’ and he would often tell me that was his preference in boys. He was also seeing other boys (cheating) so the whole thing was very devastating to me. With all that said, even after all these years I can still go back to that place of hurt and write and sing from it. There’s also a song on my second album ‘Scorpio Sessions’ called ‘tell me you love me’. That song was about that whole situation.”
Ray says he’d like to know what it’s like to be in a real relationship for the first time one day but that he also still has trust issues because of his past experience. The albums last track ‘Dear Family…’, is a deep and personal apology to his parents and younger brother, but also a personal rant about being traumatised by his dad’s alcohol addiction and abusive nature and his mom being in and out of his life in his early years. “I had to get all that off my chest,” he says. “I love my family though and I definitely miss my dad now that he’s been gone 8 years. If he’s watching over me then he knows I love him and that this song wasn’t intended to offend him or paint him in a bad light. Same for my mom.” The album’s title track ‘This Is Me’ tells a touching story on feeling unheard and not good enough, as well as experiencing bullying in school and not fitting in. “That song in particular, I wrote not only from my own experiences but I wrote it for everyone who feels and goes through all the things I sing about in the song also.”
Though his journey before and during the making of the album was rough and rocky, little did he know this album would turn his life around in ways he didn’t expect. A month after the album’s release, he was featured in the local newspaper in his hometown of Mount Vernon, IL, TWICE. The second time he made the cover of the paper and he was lost for words. Word spread around town quickly and this officially solidified him as a local artist. “I’m still lost for words. I couldn’t believe I was seeing my face on the cover of the paper. I didn’t even know they still printed newspapers.” Ray says, with a chuckle. He says the music video for the album’s first and lead single ‘Attractive’ is currently in the works. As of now, no release date has been set but we’re sure that when he does finally release it we won’t be disappointed.
