I Try

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1999 single by Macy Gray

title: "I Try" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1999-singles", "1999-songs", "macy-gray-songs", "music-videos-directed-by-mark-romanek", "number-one-singles-in-australia", "irish-singles-chart-number-one-singles", "number-one-singles-in-new-zealand", "songs-written-by-jeremy-ruzumna", "songs-written-by-macy-gray", "epic-records-singles", "grammy-award-for-best-female-pop-vocal-performance"] description: "1999 single by Macy Gray" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Try" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1999 single by Macy Gray ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameI Try
coverMacygray-itry.jpg
typesingle
artistMacy Gray
albumOn How Life Is
released
studioParamount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California)
genreNeo soul
length3:59
lyricistMacy Gray
producerAndrew Slater
prev_titleDo Something
prev_year1999
next_titleStill
next_year2000
misc
::

| name = I Try | cover = Macygray-itry.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Macy Gray | album = On How Life Is | B-side =

  • "Don't Come Around"
  • "Rather Hazy" | released = | recorded = | studio = Paramount, Sunset Sound, A&M (Hollywood, California) | genre = Neo soul | length = 3:59 | label =
  • Epic
  • Clean Slate | 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 | misc = "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" peaked 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

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

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"), 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.

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.

Track listings

  • UK CD1
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "I Try" (Full Crew mix) – 5:21
  3. "Don't Come Around" – 4:20
  • UK CD2
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "I Try" (JayDee remix) – 5:55
  3. "I Try" (Bob Power remix) – 3:51
  • UK cassette single
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Don't Come Around" – 4:20
  • European CD1
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Rather Hazy" – 3:10
  • European CD2
  1. "I Try" – 3:59
  2. "Rather Hazy" – 3:10
  3. "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27
  • Australian CD single
  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
  • Japanese CD single (with "Do Something")
  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.

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "I Try""] | Chart (1999–2000) | Peak position | Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) | European Radio Top 50 (Music & Media) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Italy (Musica e dischi) | Italy Airplay (Music & Media) | Scandinavian Airplay (Music & Media) | US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | | 34 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1999 year-end chart performance for "I Try""]

Chart (1999)PositionUK Singles (OCC)UK Airplay (Music Week)
20
15
::

::data[format=table title="2000 year-end chart performance for "I Try""]

Chart (2000)PositionAustralia (ARIA)Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)Germany (Media Control)New Zealand (RIANZ)Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)US Billboard Hot 100US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)
18
37
58
80
19
60
26
32
6
6
7
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release history for "I Try""]

RegionVersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.JapanUnited KingdomUnited States
"I Try" / "Do Something"July 23, 1999CDEpic
"I Try"September 27, 1999
October 5, 1999
October 18, 1999Hot adult contemporary radiourl=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-10-15.pdftitle=Going for Adds" / "AddVance Noticemagazine=Radio & Recordsissue=1321pages=146, 155, 179date=October 15, 1999issn=0277-4860
October 19, 1999
::

References

References

  1. Parker, Eloise. (2015). "1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die". [[Rizzoli Libri.
  2. "Chartslot". ''[[Daily Record (Scotland). Daily Record]]''. October 29, 1999. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. "Macy Gray - I Try (1999)".
  4. (March 18, 2011). "Official Music Video".
  5. 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Award Ceremony
  6. (1999). "I Try". [[Epic Records]], Clean Slate.
  7. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  8. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  9. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  10. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  11. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  12. (1999). "I Try". Epic Records.
  13. (1999). "On How Life Is". Epic Records, Clean Slate.
  14. "Macy Gray Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)".
  15. (March 4, 2000). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
  16. "European Radio Top 50". [[Music & Media]].
  17. (November 5, 1999). "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (4.11 – 11.11 1999)". [[DV (newspaper).
  18. "Classifiche". [[Musica e dischi]].
  19. (December 11, 1999). "Major Market Airplay: Italy".
  20. (October 9, 1999). "Major Market Airplay". [[Music & Media]].
  21. "Macy Gray Chart History (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)".
  22. (May 13, 2000). "Top 40 Tracks".
  23. "Yearly Best Selling Singles – 1999". [[British Phonographic Industry]].
  24. (January 22, 2000). "Most Broadcast of 1999 – Airplay Top 50".
  25. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
  26. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2000".
  27. (December 23, 2000). "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000".
  28. "Top 100 Singles-Jahrescharts – 2000". [[GfK Entertainment]].
  29. "Top Selling Singles of 2000". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
  30. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2000".
  31. (December 30, 2000). "The Year in Music 2000 – Hot 100 Singles & Tracks".
  32. (December 22, 2000). "The Best of 2000: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs".
  33. (December 30, 2000). "The Year in Music 2000".
  34. (December 22, 2000). "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000".
  35. "メイシー・グレイ". [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]].
  36. (September 25, 1999). "New Releases – Week Starting 27 September, 1999: Singles".
  37. (October 1, 1999). "Going for Adds".
  38. (October 15, 1999). "Going for Adds" / "AddVance Notice".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1999-singles1999-songsmacy-gray-songsmusic-videos-directed-by-mark-romaneknumber-one-singles-in-australiairish-singles-chart-number-one-singlesnumber-one-singles-in-new-zealandsongs-written-by-jeremy-ruzumnasongs-written-by-macy-grayepic-records-singlesgrammy-award-for-best-female-pop-vocal-performance