I Try Explained

I Try
Cover:Macygray-itry.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Macy Gray
Album:On How Life Is
B-Side:
  • "Don't Come Around"
  • "Rather Hazy"
Studio:Paramount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California)
Genre:Neo soul[1]
Length:3:59
Label:
Composer:
  • Macy Gray
  • Jeremy Ruzumna
  • Jinsoo Lim
  • David Wilder
Lyricist:Macy Gray
Producer:Andrew Slater
Prev Title:Do Something
Prev Year:1999
Next Title:Still
Next Year:2000

"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. Two months later, on September 27, "I Try" was released officially in the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Hip Hop/R&B Singles chart and peaked at No. 6 on the main UK Singles chart. Globally, the song would be Gray's most successful single, peaking at No. 5 in the United States and Norway, No. 4 in Scotland, No. 3 in Austria, No. 2 in Canada, and No. 1 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

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

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"),[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]

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

  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "I Try" (Full Crew mix) – 5:21
  3. "Don't Come Around" – 4:20
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "I Try" (JayDee remix) – 5:55
  3. "I Try" (Bob Power remix) – 3:51
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Don't Come Around" – 4:20
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Rather Hazy" – 3:10
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Rather Hazy" – 3:10
  3. "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Rather Hazy" – 3:10
  3. "Do Something" (Black Apple Mix edit) – 3:33
  4. "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27
  1. "I Try"
  2. "Do Something"
  3. "Do Something" (remixed by Organized Noize)
  4. "Do Something" (remixed by King Britt)

Credits and personnel

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

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[14] 19
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[15] 19
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[16] 28
Italy (Musica e dischi)[17] 34
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 21
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)[19] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)! scope="col"
Position
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 20
UK Airplay (Music Week)[21] 15
Chart (2000)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 18
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[23] 37
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[24] 58
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 80
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 60
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 26
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 32
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[30] 6
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[31] 6
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)7

Release history

Region!scope="col"
VersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Japan"I Try" / "Do Something"July 23, 1999CDEpic[32]
United Kingdom"I Try"September 27, 1999[33]
United StatesOctober 5, 1999[34]
October 18, 1999Hot adult contemporary radio[35]
October 19, 1999

Notes and References

  1. Book: Parker, Eloise. Robert . Dimery . 2015 . 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Macy Gray - "I Try. Universe. New York. 784.
  2. "Chartslot". Daily Record. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. Web site: Macy Gray - I Try (1999). IMVDb. March 7, 2017.
  4. Web site: Official Music Video. YouTube. March 7, 2017.
  5. 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Award Ceremony
  6. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. UK CD1 liner notes. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 668183 2.
  7. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. UK CD2 liner notes. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 668183 5.
  8. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. UK cassette single sleeve. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 668183 4.
  9. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. European CD1 liner notes. Epic Records, Clean Slate. EPC 667770 1.
  10. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. European CD2 liner notes. Epic Records, Clean Slate. EPC 667770 2.
  11. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. Australian CD single liner notes. Epic Records, Clean Slate. 667911 2.
  12. I Try. Macy Gray. 1999. Japanese CD single liner notes. Epic Records. ESCA-8025.
  13. On How Life Is. On How Life Is. Macy Gray. 1999. US CD album booklet. Epic Records, Clean Slate. EK 69490.
  14. Macy Gray Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs). Billboard. May 6, 2022.
  15. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 17. 10. March 4, 2000. 11. 29800226. World Radio History. See Last week position.
  16. News: Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (4.11 – 11.11 1999). DV. is. November 5, 1999. 10. 1021-8254. Timarit.is.
  17. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Macy Gray".
  18. Macy Gray Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). Billboard. August 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190821031712/https://www.billboard.com/music/macy-gray/chart-history/bubbling-under-r-b-hip-hop-songs. August 21, 2019.
  19. Top 40 Tracks. Billboard. 112. 20. 142. May 13, 2000.
  20. Web site: Yearly Best Selling Singles – 1999. British Phonographic Industry. September 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20100924031612/http://bpi.co.uk/assets/files/yearly%20best%20selling%20singles.pdf. September 24, 2010.
  21. Most Broadcast of 1999 – Airplay Top 50. Music Week. January 22, 2000. 31. 0265-1548. World Radio History.
  22. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000. Australian Recording Industry Association. December 8, 2020.
  23. Web site: Jahreshitparade Singles 2000. austriancharts.at. de. September 11, 2019.
  24. Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000. Music & Media. 17. 52. December 23, 2000. 9. 29800226. World Radio History.
  25. Web site: Top 100 Singles-Jahrescharts – 2000. GfK Entertainment. de. September 11, 2019.
  26. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2000. Recorded Music NZ. December 8, 2020.
  27. Web site: Swiss Year-End Charts 2000. swisscharts.com. September 11, 2019.
  28. The Year in Music 2000 – Hot 100 Singles & Tracks. Billboard. 112. 53. December 30, 2000. YE-46. 0006-2510. Google Books.
  29. The Best of 2000: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 50. December 22, 2000.
  30. The Year in Music 2000. Billboard. 112. 53. YE-99. December 30, 2000. 0006-2510. Google Books.
  31. Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 54. December 22, 2000.
  32. Web site: メイシー・グレイ. Macy Gray. Sony Music Entertainment Japan. https://web.archive.org/web/20070212084046/http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/International/Arch/ES/MacyGray/index.html. February 12, 2007. August 26, 2023.
  33. New Releases – Week Starting 27 September, 1999: Singles. Music Week. 25. September 25, 1999. 0265-1548. World Radio History.
  34. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1319. 54, 61. October 1, 1999. 0277-4860. World Radio History.
  35. Going for Adds" / "AddVance Notice. Radio & Records. 1321. 146, 155, 179. October 15, 1999. 0277-4860. World Radio History.

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