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"
ReleasedJuly 23, 1999 (1999-07-23)
StudioParamount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California)
Length3:59
Label
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]

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

Credits and personnel

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

Studios

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

Certifications
Certifications for "I Try"
Region CertificationCertified 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
[57]
October 18, 1999 Hot adult contemporary radio [58]
October 19, 1999
[58]

References
  1. "Chartslot". Daily Record. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  2. "Macy Gray - I Try (1999)". IMVDb. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  3. "Official Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  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)
  12. "Macy Gray – I Try". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  13. "Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  14. "Macy Gray – I Try" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  15. "Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Ultratip.
  16. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9908." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  17. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7237." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  18. "Macy Gray Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 10. March 4, 2000. p. 11. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History. See Last week position.
  20. "Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Les classement single.
  21. "Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  22. "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (4.11 – 11.11 1999)". DV (in Icelandic). November 5, 1999. p. 10. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  23. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Try". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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  25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Macy Gray" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
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  29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
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  33. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  34. "Macy Gray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  35. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  36. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  37. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  38. "Macy Gray Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  39. "Macy Gray Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  40. "Macy Gray Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  41. "Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 20. May 13, 2000. p. 142.
  42. "Yearly Best Selling Singles – 1999" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  43. "Most Broadcast of 1999 – Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. January 22, 2000. p. 31. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  44. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  45. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2000". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  46. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. December 23, 2000. p. 9. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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  49. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2000". swisscharts.com. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  50. "The Year in Music 2000 – Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-46. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  51. "The Year in Music 2000 – Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks / Hot Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-99. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  52. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  53. "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  54. "British single certifications – Macy Gray – I Try". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  55. "メイシー・グレイ" [Macy Gray]. Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
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  58. "Going for Adds" / "AddVance Notice" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1321. October 15, 1999. pp. 146, 155, 179. ISSN 0277-4860 – via World Radio History.
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