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
Format Digital download, CD single, 12" maxi single
Recorded 1997
Genre R&B, 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 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.

At the 2001 Grammy Awards, "I Try" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, the first to be awarded to an African-American artist winner in the category, since Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart" in 1997, and was also 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. 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 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 (Media Control 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

  1. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  2. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Macy Gray – I Try" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  3. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Macy Gray – I Try" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  4. ↑ Canadian peak
  5. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try" (in French). Les classement single.
  6. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Macy Gray > I Try – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  7. ↑ "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  8. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Macy Gray search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  9. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Macy Gray – I Try". Top 40 Singles.
  10. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". VG-lista.
  11. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". Singles Top 60.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Macy Gray – I Try". Swiss Singles Chart.
  13. ↑ "Chart Stats – Macy Gray – I Try". Chart Stats. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 "On How Life Is > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  15. ↑ "Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  16. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Retrieved 2010-08-31.

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