Like I'm Gonna Lose You

Writing and development

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was written by Meghan Trainor, Justin Weaver, and Caitlyn Smith. It was composed as a demo "years ago", but Trainor was at first hesitant to show the song to her record label during the recording of her debut album, Title (2015).

At the request of Trainor's uncle, Burton Toney, her management listened to the track. Trainor recalls one of her managers being brought to tears by the song, resulting in the decision to include it on the album. The song was produced by Trainor and Chris Gelbuda, who she had first met in 2011 at a music conference in Colorado. They later co-wrote Sabrina Carpenter's "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying". During their recording of the track "3am" for Title, Trainor told Gelbuda about "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", a reggae song which she felt was a poor fit for the album. The pair brainstormed, with Gelbuda playing various melodies on a guitar, resulting in a change in sound and tempo. "She dug it and it just worked. We built the track together, she sang the vocals, and I worked at it for weeks," Gelbuda recalls. They recorded "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" in 2014 at The Green Room, Gelbuda's home studio, in East Nashville, Tennessee. Trainor and Gelbuda performed all of the track's instrumentation, production, and programming.

Initially intended to be a solo recording, L.A. Reid sent it to John Legend, who shares the same management as Trainor. Legend said, "I love this: I want to be a part of it". Trainor announced her collaboration with Legend in an interview with MTV News at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in September 2014. His vocal was recorded as a duet with Trainor's by Jason Agel at Germano Studios in New York City, with the assistance of Kenta Yonesaka. "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larabee North Studios in Universal City, California and mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace in New York City. Gelbuda describes it as "classic and jazzy" and "a big departure from everything she's done".

Composition

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a retro style soul ballad. It features Trainor's soprano vocals in a duet with Legend, and includes additional background vocals by Trainor and Gelbuda. The track comprises minimal harmonies and instrumental accompaniment, showcasing Trainor and Legend's vocals at its forefront. Critics noted the song as a more earnest, tender, and subdued sound compared Trainor's other material. The track is set in the time signature of 12
8 time, with a slow tempo of 72 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of C major and has a sequence of C–F/C–C–Em–Am–F–C/E–Dm₇–F/G as its chord progression.

Characterized as a love song with a lyrical theme of fatalism, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" channels anxiety about losing someone into determination to make the most of every moment. According to Gelbuda the track is about not taking time with loved ones for granted.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone writer Chuck Arnold called the song "finger-snapping balladry" and likened it to duets by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Melanie J. Sims of the Associated Press felt that "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was the most refreshing track on Title, writing "Not only is it a nice change of pace sonically, but in a rare moment, the track gives Trainor's vocals the main stage, without a catchy hook or quirky production yanking away the spotlight". Similarly, Elysa Gardener of USA Today wrote: "Trainor is at her most appealing when she doesn't try to be sly or subversive. Her yearning soprano is a perfect match for guest John Legend's silky voice and presence on 'Like I'm Gonna Lose You'". Glenn Gamboa of Newsday called the song "classic-sounding" and said that it would "stick with Trainor throughout her sure-to-be-lengthy career". Martin Townsend of the Daily Express named "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", along with "Walkashame", as the album's best tracks. Virgin Media's Ian Gittins opined that the song manifested Trainor's vocal prowess.

In a mixed review, The Daily Telegraph's Helen Brown opined that the ballad was formulaic, but complimented Legend's sincerity of tone. Daily News writer Jim Farber commented that the track "played to the smarm of Legend", and further added, "Trainor can turn earnest—not always in a good way". Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe wrote, "When [Trainor] steps away from pastiche, she struggles; John Legend comes through loud and clear on boilerplate ballad 'Like I'm Gonna Lose You,' while she could be anybody at all". Billboard writer Carl Wilson shared the views of Farber and Hirsh, and said that Legend's vocal added "deeper textures to an otherwise static [song]".

Chart performance

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" debuted at number 63 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 11 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles charts issued for January 31, 2015. The song later re-entered US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at a new peak of number 10 for the chart dated June 6, 2015. For the chart dated July 25, 2015, the track debuted on the Hot 100 at number 95. On the week charting October 3, 2015, the song charted at number 45 and steadily rose to a peak position of number 18 on November 6, and later reached a new peak of number 8, on the issue dated 12 December, thus becoming Trainor's third and Legend's second top-10 single. It also peaked at number one on the Adult Top 40 chart.

In Australia, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" debuted at number 80 on the Australian Singles Chart issued for June 8, 2015. It climbed 61 positions to number 19 the following week, marking Trainor fifth consecutive top-20 hit in the country. The following week, it ascended to number five, finally hitting the number one position on the chart the following week. It stayed at number one for a total of four weeks. In New Zealand, the song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 26 on the chart dated June 29, 2015. In its second week, the song dropped to number 32, before rising to number 13 the following week. After four weeks on the chart, the song was certified gold and reached number one, marking Trainor's third number-one hit and fifth top-10 hit. It gave Legend his first number-one single in the country and his second top-10.

Music video

On June 18, 2015, Trainor confirmed that the shooting for the "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" music video had begun. She premiered the music video in Times Square on July 9, 2015. Trainor released the videos behind the scenes on July 21, 2015.

In the video, directed by Constellation Jones, Trainor is singing amid candlelight in a darkened building as it rains outside. As the video continues, different aspects of love are shown in the rain: a mother and child, romantic couples, and friendships, braving their way through the same rainy night.

Live performances

Trainor performed "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" during her That Bass Tour as a duet with either Matt Prince or George Sheppard of Sheppard at selected dates. At the tour's date in Birmingham on April 11, 2015, Trainor was joined by Nathan Sykes for a duet of the song. In a review of Sykes and Trainor's rendition, Noelle Devolle of Seventeen said, "It goes without saying that these two are pretty much cementing themselves as the new King and Queen of doo-wop and soul, and they need to collaborate".

Trainor and Legend's first performance together of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on May 17, 2015. According to Hugh McIntyre of Forbes, the rendition was widely applauded. It was the third most-tagged performance of the night on Shazam. William Gruger of Billboard wrote, "It's notable that Shazam was so popular with the slow, ballad-oriented tracks, which suggested that they were some of the most-engaging moments of the evening". The performance spurred a 45% increase in Title's unit sales in the United States, helping it rise seven positions to number five on the Billboard 200 that week. Trainor climbed from number seven to number four on the Billboard Artist 100 as a result. Joe Lynch of Billboard described the rendition as "one of the night's quiet victories: Not a show-stopper, but a performance that stuck with you". Trainor and Legend sang "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 21, 2015. She performed the track solo in a set for The Today Show on May 22, 2015, along with "Dear Future Husband", "All About That Bass" and "Lips Are Movin". An a cappella rendition of the song by Trainor and Legend premiered on May 27, 2015 by, Entertainment Weekly, as part of Pop TV's "Massive Musical Mash-Up". Trainor also performed along with Legend on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 14, 2015. Trainor performed the song on the American Music Awards of 2015 on November 22, 2015, in a medley with Charlie Puth's collaboration "Marvin Gaye".

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from Title album liner notes.