"New York, New York" is the debut solo single by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. It was the lead single to his second studio album Gold (2001).
The song was supposed to be released on September 11, 2001, but following the terrorist attacks, it was postponed to November 26. The single reached No. 53 in the UK in December 2001 and No. 18 on the Adult Top 40 chart in the US. The song earned Adams a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Following the attacks, the song was seen by many as an inspirational anthem of healing for New York City. Two months after the attack, Adams performed the song on Saturday Night Live.
In 2009, the song was included in The Guardian newspaper's "1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear". It features a closing saxophone solo by a young Kamasi Washington.
Background
Adams wrote the song about an ex-lover from his brief time in New York during his early 20s. A native of North Carolina, he lived in New York two years before the release of the song. Adams moved to New York in order to be in a relationship with her.
The song's lyrics mention several lower Manhattan geographic references, including the intersection of Avenue A and 10th Street (where Adams and Lombardi's apartment was), the Second Avenue subway station, Houston Street, Avenue B, and an Upper West Side church.
The song was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, losing to "Dig In" by Lenny Kravitz.
The closing saxophone solo was played by 20-year-old Kamasi Washington in one of his first studio session appearances. It features two takes being played at the same time, which originated as a playback accident before the producers enjoyed it enough to keep it.