Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Mudvayne and HELLYEAH vocalist Chad Gray has shared an official music video for his solo interpretation of “Beautiful”, the song made famous by Christina Aguilera in 2002. The clip premiered on October 27, 2026, introducing a strikingly different arrangement of the pop ballad.
The original was written by Linda Perry, whose lyrics about self-worth and insecurity helped make the track one of Aguilera‘s signature recordings. Gray has kept that emotional core while bringing the song closer to the heavier musical world associated with his bands.
In comments accompanying the release, Gray explained that the song connected with his own experiences of insecurity and learning to accept himself. He said that his relationship with its message deepened as he pursued sobriety and worked on his personal wellbeing.
The singer has reworked the bridge and added a screamed passage, prominent drums and distorted guitars. He hopes that listeners who ordinarily gravitate toward metal will hear the message in a new way. Perry has also reacted positively to the rendition, praising the commitment in Gray’s performance.
The accompanying video was directed by Alex Bemis. It follows Gray’s earlier solo activity.
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Gray relinquished his factory employment, which provided an annual salary of $40,000, to relocate to Peoria, Illinois, where he subsequently established the band Mudvayne. The ensemble’s inaugural album, “L.D. 50”, was released in 2000 and achieved unforeseen success, selling over 500,000 copies within the first year of its launch.
Mudvayne emerged as one of the most prominent heavy metal groups of the 2000s, producing four additional studio albums: “The End of All Things to Come” (2002), “Lost and Found” (2005), “The New Game” (2008), and “Mudvayne” (2009), before entering a hiatus in 2010.
On April 19, 2021, it was publicly announced that Mudvayne would reunite for their first performances in more than a decade, with the potential for new material to be released in the future. Gray composed the song “Death Blooms” in tribute to his grandmother’s illness.
