Unnamed (band)

## Unnamed

Unnamed performing in 2013

**Unnamed**was an American rap rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The primary lineup during the majority of the band's duration consisted of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Daniel Grey, keyboardist and vocalist Tyler Amin, bassist Amelia Watkin, drummer Kyle Crane, and rhythm guitarist and vocalist A.J Lawerence. Grey's brother, James Grey, and artist Tyrel O'Reily joined in 2012 following the exit of Daniel and Amin, and would remain members until the band's separation.

The band originally signed under Grey Records, a label headed by Daniel and James Grey's father, Mason. In 2007, the band released their debut extended play, *The Lonely Night EP*. The record did not receive much commercial success, but with the growing popularity of online platforms such as Myspace and Napster, the band was able to personally advertise and release music directly to fans.

After a lackluster debut extended-play, Unnamed released *Forever Nothing*, their first studio album, in 2008. Initially suffering from the same commercial issues as it's predecessor, the album benefitted from the popularity of singles "Malice" and "fuckboy.mp4" appearing in multiple television series and movies. The aforementioned singles peaked at number thirty-two and seventy-one on the *Billboard* Hot 100, respectively. Forever Nothing marked the end of the band's signature usage of direct album downloads to the public on social media following a label dispute with MySpace Records. The album would go double platinum in 2018, ten years after it's original debut, following a re-release in light of Daniel Grey's passing.

Unnamed's second studio album, *Party in Miami* was released in summer 2010, directly followed by the band's first world tour. It was the first of several records released under Interscope and Polydor after the group's widely-publicized falling out with Grey Records. Backed by a stronger record deal and better production, Party in Miami debuted at number eleven on the US *Billboard* 200 and number eight on the UK chart. The singles, "The Amber Project" and "Patriots", each reached the top ten of the *Billboard* Hot 100, with the latter earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. Prior to the recording of the band's next record, guitarist Tyler Amin would leave the group due to undisclosed issues. Following the successful world tour and album release, the group swiftly released their third album, *Archangel*, in 2012. The record received positive reviews, peaking at number four of the *Billboard* 200. A deluxe of the album was released in the following months, pushing the album to top the chart in 2013, a first for the band.

The twilight years of the group would mark various changes, most notably that of frontman Daniel Grey's departure in the middle of their second world tour, The Angel Tour. Touring member Tyrel O'Reily became the band's lead vocalist, and would join the lineup alongside Grey's brother, James Grey. Unnamed released *The Pitiful Ones* in 2014, displaying a revitalized sound and style, moving away from their rap rock beginnings. The album received rave reviews from critics, gaining praise for a daring jump into the alternative genre. The single, "Call Me When You're Dead", reached number one on the *Billboard* Hot 100, and held the spot for twelve consecutive weeks. This earned the band it's first Grammy Award for Best Album, along with three other nominations.

A label switch and canceled world tour defined the process of Unnamed's penultimate record, *Afterparty in Cuba*. The album is considered a spiritual sequel to Party in Miami. It became the band's most successful album following it's release in 2016, under Atlantic Records. Once again branching into new musical genres, the album nearly swept the rap categories at the Grammys, winning Best Rap Song with "Deaf", Best Rap Album, and Best Melodic Rap Performance with "When We Were New". Both lead singles were certified triple-platinum in the US, and the album eventually reaching Diamond status in 2020. The album held the number one spot on the *Billboard* 200 for fifteen weeks in 2016, and returned to the top for another ten weeks in 2019.

Following the death of former frontman Daniel Grey the following year in 2017, the band disappeared from social media platforms. After a nearly two-year long period of silence, James Grey announced a tribute album by the band to honor his brother, and that the group would disband following the record's subsequent tour. In 2019, Unnamed self-released *fin.* and began the Unnamed4Ever tour. The tour began in Europe on November 30th, 2019, and continued on schedule until being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vocalist O'Reily would pass away during this hiatus after complications from leukemia. On September 1st, 2021, the tour continued in North America, concluding on March 7th, 2022. Unnamed has sold upwards of 200 million records, and is considered one of the world's best selling artists and musical groups in the world.

## Discography

**Studio albums**