"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

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "I Try" (Full Crew mix) – 5:21

• "Don't Come Around" – 4:20

• UK CD2

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "I Try" (JayDee remix) – 5:55

• "I Try" (Bob Power remix) – 3:51

• UK cassette single

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "Don't Come Around" – 4:20

• European CD1

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "Rather Hazy" – 3:10

• European CD2

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "Rather Hazy" – 3:10

• "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27

• Australian CD single

• "I Try" – 3:59

• "Rather Hazy" – 3:10

• "Do Something" (Black Apple Mix edit) – 3:33

• "I Try" (Full Crew Mix—extended II—no vocoder) – 5:27

• Japanese CD single (with "Do Something")

• "I Try"

• "Do Something"

• "Do Something" (remixed by Organized Noize)

• "Do Something" (remixed by King Britt)

Credits and personnel

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

Studios

• Recorded and mixed at Paramount Studios, Sunset Sound, and A&M Studios (Hollywood, California)

Personnel

• Macy Gray – lyrics, music, back-up vocals

• Jeremy Ruzumna – music, organ

• Jinsoo Lim – music

• David Wilder – music, bass

• Jon Brion – guitars, piano, orchestra bells

• Bendrix Williams – guitars

• Patrick Warren – Chamberlin

• Matt Chamberlain – drums

• Lenny Castro – percussion

• Andrew Slater – production

• Dave Way – recording, mixing

• Krystof Zizka - engineer, producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References