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I Try

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I Try Theme
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"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)
GenreNeo soul[1]
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

"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. 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.

Critical reception[edit]

Daily Record called the song "soulful", noting that Macy Gray "has one of the most distinctive singing voices around."[2]

Music video[edit]

The music video for the song, directed by American filmmaker Mark Romanek (who had previously directed the video for Gray's "Do Something"),[3] 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.[4][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.[5]

Track listings[edit]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits are lifted from the On How Life Is album booklet.[13]

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[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "I Try"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[56] Platinum 70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[57] Gold 45,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[58] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Platinum 600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release history for "I Try"
Region Version Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Japan "I Try" / "Do Something" July 23, 1999 CD Epic [60]
United Kingdom "I Try" September 27, 1999
  • Epic
  • Clean Slate
 [61]
United States October 5, 1999
[62]
October 18, 1999 Hot adult contemporary radio [63]
October 19, 1999
[63]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parker, Eloise (2015). "Macy Gray - "I Try". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 784.
  2. ^ "Chartslot". Daily Record. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. ^ "Macy Gray - I Try (1999)". IMVDb. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  4. ^ "Official Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  5. ^ 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Award Ceremony
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ 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)
  9. ^ 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)
  10. ^ 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)
  11. ^ 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)
  12. ^ I Try (Japanese CD single liner notes). Macy Gray. Epic Records. 1999. ESCA-8025.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ 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)
  14. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  15. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  16. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  17. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Ultratip.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9908." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  19. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7237." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  20. ^ "Macy Gray Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Les classement single.
  23. ^ "Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  24. ^ "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.CategoriesGames