Which 1999 Macy Gray debut album includes the hit single "I Try"?

Macy Gray’s 1999 debut album featuring the hit single “I Try” is On How Life Is.

Released in July 1999 through Epic and Clean Slate, On How Life Is introduced Gray’s raspy, instantly recognizable voice and bluesy neo-soul style. Producer Andrew Slater helped shape the album’s warm blend of soul, pop, rock, and hip-hop-influenced textures.

“I Try” was issued as the album’s second single. It became Gray’s signature recording, reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. At the 2001 Grammy Awards, it won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and received nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The distractors are all later Macy Gray albums. The Id followed in 2001, Big arrived in 2007, and The Sellout was released in 2010. That chronology makes On How Life Is the clear answer whenever the question identifies Gray’s debut.