I Try

Last updated

"I Try"
Macygray-itry.jpg
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)
Studio Paramount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California)
Genre Neo 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.

Contents

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] [ 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

Credits and personnel

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

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "I Try"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [56] Platinum70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [57] Gold45,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [58] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [59] Platinum600,000^

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

Release history

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

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References

  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.
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  35. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  41. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Macy Gray Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 20. May 13, 2000. p. 142.
  44. ↑ "Yearly Best Selling Singles – 1999" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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  46. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2000". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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  53. ↑ "The Best of 2000: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 50.
  54. 1 2 "The Year in Music 2000". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-99. ISSN   0006-2510 – via Google Books.
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  57. ↑ "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  58. ↑ "Macy Gray - I Try". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  59. ↑ "British single certifications – Macy Gray – I Try". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  60. ↑ "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.
  61. ↑ "New Releases – Week Starting 27 September, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 25, 1999. p. 25. ISSN   0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
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  63. 1 2 "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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