You know what they say -- go big or go home. Macy Gray has obviously picked Door No. 1. And it's high time.

For too long, Gray has been a singular talent in search of collaborators to match. She finally finds them on her superior fourth album Big.

Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am co-produced the disc, which also features guest spots from Natalie Cole, Fergie and some former boy-bander you might have heard of named Justin.

The high-wattage, high-priced VIPs -- not to mention the lush strings that grace many of these dozen stylish hip-hop soul cuts -- truly bring out the best in Gray. Cuts like Shoo Be Doo, Ghetto Love, Get Out, Everybody and Treat Me Like Your Money have funky bumptious beats and cutting-edge sonics (Money even includes a rap from will).

Joyful ballads like Glad You're Here and One for Me showcase Gray's romantic side. And it wouldn't be a Macy album without a murder ballad like the loopy, bluesy Strange Behavior, on which she turns the tables on a homicidal husband who planned to off her for the insurance.

Of course, the main attraction here is still Gray's instantly identifiable helium-and-sandpaper rasp, which blends Marge Simpson, Rod Stewart, Billie Holiday and a carton of unfiltered Camels. Despite all the star power, Gray is probably still too eccentric to ever be as big as, say, Mary J. Blige.

Still, it's nice to see she's finally picking on some folks her own size.

Track Listing:

1. Finally Made Me Happy
2. Shoo Be Doo
3. What I Gotta Do
4. Okay
5. Glad You're Here
6. Ghetto Love
7. One For Me
8. Strange Behavior
9. Slowly
10. Get Out
11. Treat Me Like Your Money
12. Everybody