Trouble (Leona Lewis song)

"Trouble" received mainly positive reviews from critics, who praised Childish Gambino's featured rap, the musical production and Lewis's emotive vocals. A reviewer from Pop Justice said that the site had twice heard "Trouble"; the first time was just before "Collide" was released in September 2011, while a second finished version was played for them on 16 August 2012. The final track featured the same "beguiling feel" as the earlier version but was more "finished."[22] The reviewer commented, "['Trouble' has] a convincing, compelling and dramatic vocal performance which works brilliantly against the song's opulent but bleak mid-tempo production", adding that although Childish Gambino's "rap in the middle eight sounds great", it almost "slightly dilutes Leona's big comeback".[22]

Gambino is featured during the song's middle eight with a "witty, poetic and creative verse".[26]

During early previews of the song, Corner spoke most on Gambino's guest appearance, describing the collaboration as "unlikely on paper" but then in reality "it results in one of Leona's most natural collaborations to date".[32] Commenting on the song as a whole, Corner said "Trouble" was a powerful comeback, "It's big, it's emotional and it's what we've come to expect from the Hackney belle – but we wouldn't want it any other way."[32] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy also picked up on the change of direction and commented that people would be "shocked," but then added that "when "it results in an emotive anthem like this, we hope she unleashes it more often."[28] The Guardian's Michael Cragg called "Trouble" a return to the "safer" templates of her first two albums, but praised the song's production calling it "a vaguely trip-hop beat buffeted by soaring strings and a troubled lyric in the chorus."[31] Like previous reviews, Cragg also praised Gambino stating that he "manages to stamp his own personality on the song" despite appearing near the end of the song and that perhaps it was Lewis' best chance at "regaining her footing in America".[31]

In a later review, Corner said that "Trouble" was built around "echoing beats and heart-tugging piano riff," which when combined with "her unmistakable falsetto" was as dramatic as a scene from the film The Hunger Games.[28] Elena Gorgon from Softpedia echoed earlier sentiments, concluding that the song "was powerful, it's heartfelt and it confirms Leona as one of the most remarkable vocalists of the day."[33] However MSN's Danielle Cheeseman said that "Trouble" being a safe return to what Lewis has always done wasn't necessarily a good thing. In her review, Cheeseman called the song the "same melodrama" as past Lewis songs and that due to the song sounding familiar to Sandé's song "Daddy", "Lewis has yet to find her own stride".[25] Corner featured "Trouble" on his weekly playlist "10 Songs You Need to Hear" for the week beginning 27 August 2012. There he described elaborated that the song was a welcome return for Lewis thanks to "big beats, big strings and even bigger vocals".[34] Whilst the majority of reviews praised Gambino's appearance on the song,[22][31][32] Cheeseman described the collaboration as "a saviour" but that it did nothing for Lewis' "credibility".[25] Her review was subtitled "Leona Lewis Tries to Convince Us She's 'Trouble' — We're not buyin' what she's sellin'" and concluded that if the best that Glassheart could preview after all the delays was "Trouble", "it won't be worth the wait."[25] NME's Jeremy Allen agreed, praising the production on "Trouble" as "slick" but stating that from Lewis it does not come across with conviction nor is it believable.[35]

On 12 September 2012, "Trouble" was added the C-Playlist of UK mainstream radio station BBC Radio 1.[36] A week later it was moved up to the B-Playlist.[37] "Trouble" made its Irish Singles Chart debut at number twenty-one,[38] becoming her eighth top-thirty single. It is Lewis's third single after "Footprints in the Sand" (2008) and "I Got You" (2010) to miss the top five.[39] In the United Kingdom the song fared somewhat better, debuting at number two on the R&B Singles Chart[40] and number seven on the main UK Singles Chart.[41] "Trouble" is the second single to miss the top five in the UK after "I Got You", but is Lewis' ninth UK top ten.[42][43] In total, "Trouble" spent four weeks within the top 100.[44] Elsewhere, song made a brief appearance Swiss Singles Chart, where it peaked at number seventy-five for one week before dropping off the chart, and at number ninety-three on the South Korea Gaon International singles chart.[45][46]

Lewis has worked with Hollywood actors before; Chace Crawford (left) was the lead man in "I Will Be" while Colton Haynes (right) plays the leading man in "Trouble".

A music video for "Trouble" began production on 22 August 2012 with Lewis confirming, via her Twitter account, that Teen Wolf actor Colton Haynes will play her love interest in the video.[47] According to MSN's Felicity Thistlewaithe, Haynes was chosen due to his physical resemblance to Lewis' ex-boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa, who is thought to be the inspiration for the song.[48] Haynes said that his and Lewis' managers were good friends and thus the casting was arranged through them.[49] Described by Capital FM as "Lewis enduring an awkward break-up" interpolated with "time[s] when the couple were happy and in love," the music video for "Trouble" uses the solo version of the song, which excludes Childish Gambino's rap verse.[50][51] It was filmed in Los Angeles and is the second time that Lewis has enlisted a Hollywood actor to play a love interest, previously casting Chace Crawford to play her leading man in the video for Lewis' single "I Will Be" (2009). The video focuses on how the couple argue before walking away from each other.[52]

Helmed by Raul B. Fernandez, the principal filming of the video took place in just one day.[53] While filming the bedroom scene for the video, Lewis fell from the bed and injured her toe. A doctor was called on set to examine the injury, but Lewis was given the all clear and resumed filming barefoot for the rest of the video.[54] On 29 August 2012, the official lyrics video was uploaded to Lewis' YouTube page.[55] Two weeks later, Lewis uploaded some still images from the music video.[56] On 14 September 2012, Lewis uploaded the official music video for "Trouble" to her VEVO account.[52][57] Behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot was released on 4 October 2012, and shows Lewis and Haynes filming each of the scenes with commentary from Fernandez, Haynes and Lewis.[49]

Lewis laments the deterioration of her relationship whilst images of memorable times play on the backdrop.

The video begins with a view of the apartment that Lewis and Haynes shared. Books and a vase lay strewn across the floor, while Lewis weeps in the corner and Haynes watches from a distance teary-eyed.[57] The video switches to several other shots of Lewis singing the first verse, looking morose. In a third shot, Lewis is seen standing on a rooftop against the Los Angeles skyline dressed in a dark red crop top. Then the video switches to Lewis standing in front of projected images of the memorable times of her relationship with Haynes.[51][57] Lewis and Haynes are seen sat at opposite ends of the sofa looking into the distance, spliced with more scenes of Lewis on the rooftop. The couple are seen during an awkward dinner before switching to images of the couple in bed together, seemingly happy.[57] As the chorus kicks in for the first time, the couple are seen arriving at a party, with Lewis wearing an aqua-coloured dress with a portion of her midriff revealed, meanwhile Haynes wears a plaid shirt and jeans. Initially the couple are content, embracing guests but socialising separately and avoiding contact with each other.[51] The camera switches between these and the earlier scenes of Lewis in front of projected images and the LA skyline throughout the chorus.[57] As Lewis sings "I'm a whole lot of trouble/ We're in a whole lot of trouble", she glances over to see Haynes flirting with another girl.[50]

In the following verse, Lewis and Haynes are seen having several embraces, some joyful while others are more tense as Lewis is sad. The couple are then seen leaving the party; Haynes walks over to Lewis and attempts to kiss, but she proceeds to push him away.[51] During the second airing of the chorus, more images of happy scenes between the couple are spliced with Lewis waking up in bed to find Haynes has slept on the sofa. More passionate embraces between the couple are seen before Lewis is seen breaking down in tears.[57] At the breakfast that follows, the couple break into a series of arguments. Lewis shoves Haynes onto the sofa, and Haynes grabs Lewis as she turns away. Lewis then slaps Hayne around the face.[50][51] During the middle eight breakdown in the song, Haynes throws books from a shelf, and Lewis throws objects at Haynes including a cushion, as well as pushing over a lamp.[50] Haynes subsequently leaves, driving away into the distance, and Lewis falls to the wall and breaks down in tears.[51]

Anna Lewis from Heatworld.com praised the music video and said that fans who "like listening to good tunes and looking at hot guys" would be impressed. In the review A. Lewis also commended the decision to hire Haynes and summarised by saying "Bravo Leona. Bravo."[58] 4 Music's Chris Younie agreed calling Lewis "one lucky lady," as well as being surprised by the video. In his review Younie said "If you thought butter-wouldn't-melt in the mouth of Leona Lewis, think again, as the video gets steamy!" He concluded by praising the song and video's potential with the comment "[it] could be another No 1 for the ballad-belting beauty."[59]