The Trouble with Love Is

Composition and lyrics

"The Trouble with Love Is" was written by Kelly Clarkson with its producers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. Sturken was also responsible for drum programming and keyboards, while Rogers provided background vocals with Cindy Mizelle. The song was recorded at four different studios: The Hit Factory, New York City; The Record Plant, Los Angeles; The Enterprise, Burbank, California; and The Loft Recording Studio, Bronxville, New York. Its strings were recorded at a different studio: The Studio, Philadelphia. The song features drums, violins, violas, cellos, keyboards and strings in its instrumentation. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Kobalt Music Group, the song is written in the key of F major with a tempo of 60 beats per minute in common time. The song follows a chord progression of F – A7 – B♭ – D♭ - B♭, and Clarkson's vocals span from the low-note of B♭₃ to the high note of F₅. "The Trouble with Love Is" is an R&B and soul song, with elements of gospel throughout the chorus. Lyrically, it talks about the ups and downs of romance, with Clarkson singing, "Love may be a many splendored thing ... [But] it can tear you up inside/ Make your heart believe a lie."

Release and reception

Following the release of "Low", which maintained her strong-hold on stateside fans, "The Trouble with Love Is" was announced as the album's third and final single, though there were fans who pant for the ballad "Anytime" to be released. It was first serviced to US mainstream radio on November 12, 2003 in the United States, and later released as a double A-side single with "Low" in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2003. It was released in the remaining countries on January 12, 2004. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2003 film Love Actually.

Critical

The song received positive reviews from most music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic picked the song as one of the best tracks on the album, while Heather Phares of the same publication praised the track for "manag[ing] to be romantic, sassy, and empowering all at once, with her vocals reflecting their urban ballad surroundings." Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote a positive review, noting that Clarkson "mines her soulful side and riffs like a sista with the gospel-drenched [track]." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian praised the singer, writing that "[l]ike her fellow Texan Beyoncé, she has a background in the church, and it shows in the phrasing of the torchy song." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called the song a "durable soul number reminiscent of Mariah Carey's 'Vision of Love'. A writer of the website Sputnikmusic named it a "swooning, soulful, radiant song, with gospel-esque background vocals in the chorus that stands out amongst most pop music that plagues the music scene today with mediocrity." Mike Wass of Idolator described it as "a bluesy ballad that is an early preview of the diva’s eventual flirtation with roots and blues."

Commercial

While failing to match "Miss Independent" in the United States, "The Trouble with Love Is" performed considerably better internationally. In Australia, the song debuted at number twelve on February 22, 2004, while the next week it reached a peak of number eleven on the ARIA Charts week of February 29, 2004, remaining at the peak position for a further week. It matched the same peak position of the previous single, "Low", and ultimately, the song was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 35,000 copies. In Netherlands, the song peaked higher than her previous single, "Miss Independent", debuting at number eighty-one, on December 27, 2003, and reaching number twenty-six, on January 24, 2004. In Switzerland, the song became Clarkson's lowest charting-single of her career, peaking at number sixty-two. In the United States, "The Trouble with Love Is" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but made its appearance on three Billboard component charts: the Top 40 Mainstream chart, where it peaked at number twenty-two, the Adult Top 40, reaching number thirty-one, and the Top 40 Tracks, where it reached number thirty-six. On the Canadian Hot 100, the song performed significantly at number twenty-five.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Bryan Barber and premiered on November 7, 2003, on TRL. The video features Clarkson performing the track on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles, with people watching Love Actually on a rooftop adjacent to the one Clarkson's on. As noted by MTV News' Corey Moss, "along with the high-altitude shots, Barber also created several vignettes showing kids dealing with troubled relationships, which [were] interspersed with the performance footage. The scenes [took] place in the rooms of the building Kelly is performing on and include[s] a girl fighting for attention from her video-game addict boyfriend and another girl climbing on the fire escape after arguing with her mother."

Live performances

Clarkson promoted the song with a handful of live performances, including The Ellen Show, Pop Idol, Today Live on Air, AOL Music, Smile and Popworld. Clarkson also performed the track on her Independent Tour (2004), Hazel Eyes Tour and last on the "Breakaway World Tour" (2005-2006). In 2012, on her Stronger Tour, Clarkson performed the track on a medley with "Walk Away", "How I Feel" and "I Want You".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Thankful, RCA Records.