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Like I'm Gonna Lose You

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"Like I'm Gonna Lose You"
Song

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor for her first studio album Title (2015). The song features American singer John Legend. It was written by Trainor, Justin Weaver, and Caitlyn Smith, and produced by Chris Gelbuda and Trainor. Released by Epic Records on June 23, 2015, as Trainor's fourth single from the album, it is a soul song. Lyrically, it is a love song with a theme of fatalism, and conveys the message to not take time with ones you love for granted.

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" received positive reviews from music critics, who appreciated the song's emphasis on Trainor's vocals. It topped the Australian singles chart for four consecutive weeks, and reached number one in New Zealand too.[1] The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100,[2] becoming Trainor's third top 10 single, while in Canada it peaked at number 25.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Constellation Jones and released on July 9, 2015. It depicts Trainor and Legend singing amid candlelight as it rains outside. Trainor promoted "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" in a number of appearances, including live performances at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It was also performed at Trainor's That Bass Tour (2015) and MTrain Tour (2015).

Writing and development

['Like I'm Gonna Lose You' has] very emotional lyrics that take you to a real place. I wrote it in Nashville about... you know when you have those nightmares that your brother or sister or boyfriend just dies? And you wake up sweating and crying and then you have to go check on them to make sure they're still alive and they are and you're like, 'Oh my God - thank God'. It's like I'm going to love you like I'm going to lose you because I know what it feels like from that dream and I'm not going to let it happen.

—Trainor on the song's conception in a interview with Digital Spy[3]

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was written by Meghan Trainor, Justin Weaver, and Caitlyn Smith.[4] It was initially a demo Trainor composed "years ago", and wanted to exclude from the track listing of her major-label debut, Title (2015).[5] The track was written to resonate similarly to the 1960 song "Stand by Me" and The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" (1967).[6]

By 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 their intention to include it on the album.[5] The song was later produced by Trainor and Chris Gelbuda, a friend who she had first met in 2011 at a music conference in Colorado and later wrote Sabrina Carpenter's "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" with. 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 misfit for the album. The pair brainstormed adjusting the song with Gelbuda playing various melodies on a guitar, concluding 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.[6][7] They recorded "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" in 2014 at The Green Room in East Nashville, Nashville (Gelbuda's home studio). Trainor and Gelbuda performed all of the track's instrumentation, production and programming.[4][7]

Initially intended to be a solo recording, Trainor's version was then sent by Trainor and her record label's chairman, L.A. Reid of Epic Records, to John Legend as he and Trainor shared the same management.[5][6] Legend replied, "I love this: I want to be a part of it".[5] His vocal was recorded by Jason Agel as a duet with Trainor's at Germano Studios in New York City, with the assistance of Kenta Yonesaka. In addition, "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.[4] According to Gelbuda, Trainor wanted to show a different side to her artistry with the track, describing it as "classic and jazzy" and "a big departure from everything she's done".[7] Trainor announced her collaboration with Legend in an interview with MTV News at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in September 2014.[5]

Composition

The song features guest vocals by American singer John Legend
"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" (2015)
A 22-second sample of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", featuring Trainor singing the track's chorus, which is complemented by minimal harmonies and instrumental accompaniment.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a retro style, soul ballad.[8] It features Trainor spanning her soprano vocal range in a duet with Legend, and includes additional background vocals by Trainor and Gelbuda.[4][9] The track comprises minimal harmonies and instrumental accompaniment, soliciting Trainor and Legend's vocal at its forefront.[10] The song was noted to have a more earnest, tender and subdued sound, in comparison to Trainor's other material.[11][12][13] 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.[14]

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.[12][15][16] According to Gelbuda the track is about not taking time with ones you love for granted.[6]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone writer Chuck Arnold called the song "finger-snapping balladry" and likened it to duets by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.[17] Melanie J. Sims of The Associated Press felt that "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was the most refreshing track on Title, "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".[13] 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'".[9] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday called the song "classic-sounding" and said that it would "stick with Trainor throughout her sure-to-be-lengthy career".[8] Martin Townsend of the Daily Express named "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", along with "Walkashame", as the album's best tracks.[18] While Virgin Media's Ian Gittins said the song manifested Trainor's vocal prowess.[19]

In a mixed review, The Daily Telegraph's Helen Brown opined that the ballad was formulaic, but complimented Legend's sincerity of tone.[20] Daily News writer Jim Farber commented that the track played to the smarm of Legend, adding, "Trainor can turn earnest—not always in a good way".[11] 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".[21] 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]".[22]

Chart performance

"Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was Spotify's fourth most-shared track in the United States and fifth most-shared worldwide for the week-ending January 18, 2015.[23] It 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.[24][25] The song later re-entered US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at a new peak of number ten for the chart dated June 6, 2015.[26] For the chart dated July 25, 2015, the track debuted on the Hot 100 at number ninety-five. On the week charting October 3, 2015 the song charted at 45 and steadily increased 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 2015, thus becoming Trainor's third top-10 hit. It also peaked at number 15 on the Adult Contempary chart.[27]

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.[28] The following week, it ascended to number five, finally hitting the number one position on the charts the following week.[29] It stayed at number one for a second, third, and fourth week.[30] 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 climbed to the top spot, marking Trainor's third number-one hit and fifth top ten hit.[31][32] It also gave Legend his first number-one single in the country and his second top ten.[32]

Music video

On June 18, 2015, Trainor confirmed that the shooting for the "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" music video had begun.[33] She premiered the music video at Times Square on July 9, 2015.[34] Trainor released the video's behind the scenes on July 21, 2015.[35][36]

In the clip, directed by Constellation Jones, Trainor is singing amid candlelight in a darkened building as it rains and pours outside. As the video continues, different types of love are shown in the rain: a mother and her child, romantic couples and friendships, braving their way through the same rainy night.[37]

Live performances

Meghan Trainor performing on stage
Trainor performing "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" on The Today Show in May 2015

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.[38][39] At the tour's date in Birmingham on April 11, 2015, Trainor was joined by Nathan Sykes for a duet of the song.[40][41] 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".[42]

Trainor and Legend's first performance of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" together was at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on May 17, 2015.[43][27] According to Hugh McIntyre of Forbes, the rendition was widely-applauded.[44] 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".[45] The performance aided 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.[46] Trainor also climbed from number seven to number four on the Billboard Artist 100 as a result.[27] 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".[47] Trainor and Legend also sang "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 21, 2015.[7] 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".[48] An a capella rendition of the song by Trainor and Legend was premiered on May 27, 2015 by Entertainment Weekly, as part of Pop TV's "Massive Musical Mash-Up".[49] Trainor also performed along with Legend on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 14, 2015.[50] 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".[51]

Credits and personnel

Management
Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from Title album liner notes.[4]

Charts and certifications

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States June 23, 2015 Contemporary hit radio Epic [78]
October 6, 2015 Rhythmic contemporary [79]
Italy October 30, 2015 Contemporary hit radio [80]

References

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