I Try

"I Try" is a song co-written and recorded by American musician Macy Gray. It was released on September 27, 1999, outside the United States, and in North America on January 25, 2000, as the second single from her debut album, On How Life Is. It is Gray's biggest hit to date. It peaked 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"
ReleasedSeptember 27, 1999 (1999-09-27)
Recorded1999
Length3:59
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
  • Macy Gray
  • Jeremy Ruzumna
  • Jinsoo Lim
  • David Wilder
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. 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 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 and was nominated for Best Female Video and Best New Artist in a Video. Gray presented the award for "Best Pop Video" alongside LL Cool J.[4]

Track listing

UK CD 1

  1. "I Try" (Album Version)
  2. "I Try" (Full Crew Mix)
  3. "Don't Come Around"

UK CD 2

  1. "I Try" (Album Version)
  2. "I Try" (JayDee Remix)
  3. "I Try" (Bob Power Remix)

European CD single

  1. "I Try"
  2. "Rather Hazy"
  3. "I Try" (Full Crew Mix - Extended 2 - No Vocoder)

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[44] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Platinum 600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Format Release date
Worldwide September 27, 1999
North America January 25, 2000

References
  1. "Chartslot". Daily Record. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  2. "Macy Gray - I Try (1999)". IMVDb. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  3. "Official Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  4. 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Award Ceremony
  5. "Australian-charts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. "Austriancharts.at – Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Macy Gray – I Try" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Ultratip.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9908." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  10. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7237." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 10. March 4, 2000. p. 11. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved February 8, 2020 – via World Radio History. See Last week position.
  12. "Lescharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Les classement single.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Macy Gray – I Try". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  14. "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.
  15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Try". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Macy Gray" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Macy Gray – I Try" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. "Charts.nz – Macy Gray – I Try". Top 40 Singles.
  19. "Norwegiancharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". VG-lista.
  20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". Singles Top 100.
  22. "Swisscharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". Swiss Singles Chart.
  23. "Macy Gray: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  25. "Macy Gray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  26. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  27. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  28. "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  29. "Macy Gray Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  30. "Macy Gray Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  31. "Macy Gray Chart History (Tropical Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  32. "Macy Gray Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  33. "Macy Gray Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  34. "Macy Gray | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  35. "Yearly Best Selling Singles – 1999" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  36. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  37. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2000". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  38. "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.
  39. "Top 100 Singles-Jahrescharts – 2000" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  40. "Top Selling Singles of 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  41. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2000". swisscharts.com. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  42. "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.
  43. "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.
  44. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  45. "British single certifications – Macy Gray – I Try". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
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