I Try

"I Try" is a song co-written and performed by American musician Macy Gray. Issued as the second single from her debut album, On How Life Is (1999), the song was first released in Japan as a double A-side with "Do Something" on July 23, 1999. Later that year, on September 27, it received its first solo release in the United Kingdom. "I Try" is Gray's most successful single, peaking at number six in the United Kingdom, number five in the United States, number two in Canada, and number one in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

"I Try"
Single by Macy Gray
from the album On How Life Is
B-side	"Don't Come Around" "Rather Hazy"
Released	July 23, 1999 (1999-07-23)
Studio	Paramount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California)
Length	3:59
Label	Epic Clean Slate
Composer(s)	Macy Gray Jeremy Ruzumna Jinsoo Lim David Wilder
Lyricist(s)	Macy Gray
Producer(s)	Andrew Slater
Macy Gray singles chronology
"Do Something" (1999) "I Try" (1999) "Still" (2000)
Music video
"I Try" on YouTube

At the 2001 Grammy Awards, "I Try" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It remains Gray's biggest hit single in the US to date, and her only one to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The song was used in the TV sitcom Spin City, when Michael J. Fox's character, Michael Flaherty, was leaving his job and moving from NYC; the actor was also leaving the series after he had announced that he had Parkinson's disease. In 2010, the song was featured in an episode of The Office. It was also featured in the series 2 finale of Mrs. Brown's Boys during which it was sung by Brendan O'Carroll and Pat "Pepsi" Shields. In 2018, the song was featured in an episode of The Last Man on Earth.

Critical reception

Daily Record called the song "soulful", noting that Macy Gray "has one of the most distinctive singing voices around."^[1]

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by American filmmaker Mark Romanek (who had previously directed the video for Gray's "Do Something"),^[2] depicts Gray waking up in a hotel room, buying flowers, and traveling through New York City, traveled through by bus and train to meet a man in a park. At the end of the video, Gray is shown to still be in her hotel room. It is implied that she may have been dreaming the entire time and that none of the events in the video actually occurred.^{[3][original research?]}

At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won Best New Artist in a Video and was also nominated for Best Female Video. Gray presented the award for Best Pop Video alongside LL Cool J.^[4]

Track listings

UK CD1^[5] "I Try" – 3:59 "I Try" (Full Crew Mix) – 5:21 "Don't Come Around" – 4:20 UK CD2^[6] "I Try" – 3:59 "I Try" (JayDee Remix) – 5:55 "I Try" (Bob Power Remix) – 3:51 UK cassette single^[7] "I Try" – 3:59 "Don't Come Around" – 4:20

European CD1^[8] "I Try" – 3:59 "Rather Hazy" – 3:10 European CD2^[9] "I Try" – 3:59 "Rather Hazy" – 3:10 "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27 Australian CD single^[10] "I Try" – 3:59 "Rather Hazy" – 3:10 "Do Something" (Black Apple Mix edit) – 3:33 "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the On How Life Is album booklet.^[11]

Studios

• Recorded and mixed at Paramount Studios, Sunset Sound, and A&M Studios (Hollywood, California)

Personnel

• Macy Gray – lyrics, music, back-up vocals
• Jeremy Ruzumna – music, organ
• Jinsoo Lim – music
• David Wilder – music, bass
• Jon Brion – guitars, piano, orchestra bells
• Bendrix Williams – guitars
• Patrick Warren – Chamberlin
• Matt Chamberlain – drums
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Andrew Slater – production
• Dave Way – recording, mixing

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "I Try" Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[12] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[13] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[14] 23 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[15] 17 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[16] 2 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[17] 4 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)^[18] 19 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)^[19] 19 France (SNEP)^[20] 29 Germany (Official German Charts)^[21] 16 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[22] 28 Ireland (IRMA)^[23] 1 Italy (Musica e dischi)^[24] 34 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[25] 39 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[26] 60 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[27] 1 Norway (VG-lista)^[28] 5 Scotland (OCC)^[29] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[30] 52 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[31] 13 UK Singles (OCC)^[32] 6 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[33] 1 US Billboard Hot 100^[34] 5 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[35] 21 US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)^[36] 35 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[37] 2 US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[38] 21 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[39] 1 US Rhythmic (Billboard)^[40] 39 US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)^[41] 1

Year-end charts 1999 year-end chart performance for "I Try" Chart (1999) Position UK Singles (OCC)^[42] 20 UK Airplay (Music Week)^[43] 15 2000 year-end chart performance for "I Try" Chart (2000) Position Australia (ARIA)^[44] 18 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[45] 37 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)^[46] 58 Germany (Official German Charts)^[47] 80 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[48] 19 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[49] 60 US Billboard Hot 100^[50] 26 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[51] 6 US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)^[51] 7

Certifications

Certifications for "I Try"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[52]	Platinum	70,000^^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)^[53]	Gold	45,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[54]	Platinum	600,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for "I Try"

Region	Version	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Japan	"I Try" / "Do Something"	July 23, 1999	CD	Epic	^[55]
United Kingdom	"I Try"	September 27, 1999		Epic Clean Slate	^[56]
United States		October 5, 1999	Rhythmic contemporary contemporary hit radio		^[57]
		October 18, 1999	Hot adult contemporary radio		^[58]
		October 19, 1999	Urban urban AC radio		^[58]

References

1. "Chartslot". Daily Record. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
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4. 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Award Ceremony
5. I Try (UK CD1 liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. 668183 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. I Try (UK CD2 liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. 668183 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. I Try (UK cassette single sleeve). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. 668183 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. I Try (European CD1 liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. EPC 667770 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. I Try (European CD2 liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. EPC 667770 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. I Try (Australian CD single liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. 667911 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. On How Life Is (US CD album booklet). Macy Gray. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 1999. EK 69490.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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