I Try

"I Try"
Single by Macy Gray
from the album On How Life Is
B-side "Don't Come Around"
"Rather Hazy"
Released September 27, 1999 (1999-09-27)
Format
Recorded 1999
Genre R&B, neo soul
Length 3:59
Label Epic
Writer(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)

"I Try" is a hit song co-written and recorded by American musician Macy Gray. It was released in September 27, 1999, outside of United States, and later released in North America in January 25, 2000 (See below) , it was 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, and number one in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. Due to its success, the song was featured on the 2000 compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 4

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 USA 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.

Music video

The video for the song, directed by Mark Romanek, 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 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.

At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won Best New Artist and was nominated for Best Female Video.

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

Peak positions

Chart (1999-2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[1] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 23
Canada (RPM)[4] 2
France (SNEP)[5] 29
Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 39
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[10] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 52
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 13
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[13] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 5
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40[14] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[14] 21
US Billboard Adult Top 40[14] 2
US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles[15] 21

Year-end charts

Chart Position
UK Top 40 Singles of 1999 21
US Billboard Hot 100 of 2000[16] 26

Release history

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

References

External links

Preceded by
"Everyday I Love You" by Boyzone
Irish Singles Chart number-one single
December 11, 1999
Succeeded by
"I Have a Dream"/"Seasons in the Sun" by Westlife
Preceded by
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65
"Mascara"/"Leave Me Alone" by Killing Heidi
Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
January 16, 2000 – January 23, 2000 (first run)
February 20, 2000 (second run)
Succeeded by
"Mascara"/"Leave Me Alone" by Killing Heidi
"Bloke" by Chris Franklin
Preceded by
"S Club Party" by S Club 7
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
January 30, 2000
Succeeded by
"What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera
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