Turns out vocalist Chad Gray has a soft-spot for early Aughts pop classics, as the Mudvayne and Hellyeah vocalist has just surprised the world with a heavy and heartfelt twist on Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful. Better yet, he’s partnered with Revolver to premiere the music video for the cover.

Gray explains that he’s been a fan of Aguilera’s 2002 pop power ballad, penned by 4 Non Blondes leader Linda Perry, for years, having quickly latched onto the tune’s themes of “self-acceptance, finding your inner beauty, and overcoming insecurity.”

“I have struggled my entire life with all of those things so when I heard it years ago, it spoke to me, I felt what [songwriter] Linda Perry was trying to say with the lyrics,” he says, adding of the personal connection: “As I have found sobriety and worked on myself, I have found even more of a connection with this song. My songwriting has always been driven by my experiences and feelings, from dark to light from helpless to hopeful.”

Sonically, it’s not a beat-by-beat recreation of the original, piano-led ballad. Instead, Gray amps up the drama with a dynamic sung-to-screamed performance. The track does start off soft and slow, but he does ramp things up towards more profoundly raging territory.

“Although I didn’t write ‘Beautiful,’ I am passionate about its meaning so I wanted to put my own spin on it,” he continues. “I know no one had me covering a pop song in 2026 on their bingo card, but here we are. I changed the bridge, got the scream, big drums, and big guitars in there.

“Maybe some of the metal family can hear it and find their own self-love because we are beautiful no matter what they say.”

You can sample the sweet cover up above. While Aguilera hasn’t weighed in on the cover just yet, Perry has this to say for Gray’s tribute: “It made me smile. His passionate and fearless vocals get a thumbs up from this listener.”

Gray has a chance to give fans the full Xtina treatment later this year when he pops up at a series of Good Things Festival shows across Australia. He’s also due to appear at Sonic Temple 2027.

Chad Gray 2026/2027 tour dates:
12/4 Melbourne, Australia – Good Things Festival
12/5 Sydney, Australia – Good Things Festiva
12/6 Brisbane, Australia – Good Things Festival
5/14 Columbus, Ohio – Sonic Temple