Trouble (Cage the Elephant song)
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Trouble
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Cage the Elephant
| album = Tell Me I'm Pretty
| format =
| recorded = Spring 2015
| studio = Easy Eye Sound, Nashville, Tennessee
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Dream-folk{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/tell-me-im-pretty-202790/ |title=Cage the Elephant 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' Album Review|first1=Jon|last1=Dolan|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 22, 2015|access-date=June 7, 2021}}|psychedelic pop{{cite web |date= December 3, 2015 |author= Rolling Stone Staff |title= 50 Best Songs of 2015 |website= Rolling Stone |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-best-songs-of-2015-144910/titus-andronicus-dimed-out-2-39988/ |quote= The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach helps the Kentucky garage-rock crew stir up some exquisitely sweet, red-eyed psych-pop...|access-date= November 4, 2022}}}}
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=45}}
| label = RCA
| writer = {{flatlist|
- Cage the Elephant
- Dan Auerbach
}}
| producer = Dan Auerbach
| prev_title = Mess Around
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = Cold Cold Cold
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|lA-gGl6qihQ|"Trouble"}}}}
}}
"Trouble" is a song by American alternative rock band Cage the Elephant, released as the second single from the band's fourth studio album Tell Me I'm Pretty on April 26, 2016. Produced and co-written by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, it topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the United States, becoming the band's seventh overall chart-topper.
Background
Lead singer Matt Shultz said the song is "about honesty and adversity and struggle".
Shultz explained to ABC Radio that the song was inspired by a conversation he had with someone close to him. "We were both presenting ourselves as being very honest in the conversation. And I felt there were several places where I was holding back, or kind of curating the idea of what I wanted projected pretty heavily as inside the conversation. So I was curious at what level they were doing the same."{{cite web |date=2015 |author=|title=Trouble by Cage the Elephant |url=https://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=39963 |website=Songfacts.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125044006/https://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=39963 |archive-date=2016-11-25 |url-status=dead }}
Music video
The official music video for "Trouble" was released on April 21, 2016.{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/64960-cage-the-elephant-share-trouble-video-watch/ |title=Cage the Elephant Share "Trouble" Video: Watch |website=Pitchfork |date=April 21, 2016 |access-date=August 31, 2016 }} The video combines the story of a western-style duel and its delusional results with shots of the band performing in the desert. Schultz wanted to suggest the likes of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, and present "A metaphorical journey that hopefully people could read between the lines."{{cite web |date=21 April 2016 |author=Michelle Geslani |title=Cage the Elephant channel John Wayne in new video for "Trouble" -- watch |url=https://consequence.net/2016/04/cage-the-elephant-channel-john-wayne-in-new-video-for-trouble-watch/ |website=Consequence.net }} It was filmed at the Joshua Tree National Park and it also marks Shultz' directorial debut.{{cite web |date= |title=Trouble: Music Video |url=https://www.cagetheelephant.com/2016/04/21/trouble-music-video/ |website=Cage The Elephant |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125050351/https://www.cagetheelephant.com/2016/04/21/trouble-music-video/ |archive-date=2016-11-25 |url-status=dead }}
Charts
The song was a hit on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number one{{cite magazine |date=August 25, 2016 | last=Rutherford |first=Kevin | title=Cage the Elephant & Kaleo Collect New Airplay Chart No. 1s | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7487644/cage-the-elephant-kaleo-collect-new-airplay-chart-no-1s | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media |access-date=April 1, 2024 }} and staying on the chart for a total of 51 weeks. It was also a hit on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, peaking at four and charting for 28 weeks. The song also charted on several other charts, mainly charting in North America.{{Vague|date=April 2024}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| Chart (2016)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|9|artist=Cage the Elephant|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|12|artist=Cage the Elephant|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|2|artist=Cage the Elephant|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2016}} |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2016)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/hot-rock-songs |title=Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 6, 2018}}
| 33 |
| scope="row"| US Rock Airplay Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/rock-airplay-songs |title=Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2016|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 6, 2018}}
| 11 |
| scope="col"| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Rock Airplay Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/rock-airplay-songs |title=Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 6, 2018}}
| 8 |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Trouble|artist=Cage the Elephant|type=single|award=Silver|relyear=2019|certyear=2025|id=7765-3373-1|access-date=February 28, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Trouble|artist=Cage the Elephant|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2024|certyear=2019|access-date=October 16, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| Region
! Date ! Format ! Label |
|---|
| scope="row"| United States
|April 26, 2016 | Modern rock radio |
Reception
Rolling Stone praised "Trouble" as the standout song of the album, saying it "sounds gorgeously burnt, with a vaguely hounded feel that evokes red eyes hidden behind mirror-shades."{{cite magazine |last1=Dolan |first1=Jon |title=Cage the Elephant 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' Album Review |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/tell-me-im-pretty-202790/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708133553/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/tell-me-im-pretty-202790/ |archive-date=2018-07-08 |date=22 December 2015 |url-access=limited }}
DrownedInSound called it "a wickedly left-field dirge that sees Shultz hush up his usually manic delivery" and The A.V. Club called it "uncharacteristically restrained".{{cite web |date=18 December 2015 |author1=
Philip Cosores |title=Cage The Elephant chills out on the radio-ready Tell Me I'm Pretty |url=https://www.avclub.com/cage-the-elephant-chills-out-on-the-radio-ready-tell-me-1798186058 |website=The A.V. Club }}
The Guardian noted the obvious influence of 1990s era Frank Black.{{cite web |date=13 December 2015 |last1=Mackay |first1=Emily |title=Cage the Elephant: Tell Me I'm Pretty review – puppyish energy, obvious influences |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/13/cage-the-elephant-tell-me-im-pretty-review-cry-baby-trouble-portuguese-knife-fight |website=The Observer |publisher=The Guardian |quote=Trouble is a dead ringer for 1990s Frank Black }}
In media
- The song plays during the final scene of the first season of The Lincoln Lawyer.{{cite web |date=18 June 2022 |last1=Hough |first1=Quinn |title=Soundtracks of Television: 'The Lincoln Lawyer' |url=https://vaguevisages.com/2022/06/18/the-lincoln-lawyer-soundtrack-netflix-songs/ |website=Vague Visages }}
- It plays at the end of season one, episode eleven of Bull{{cn|date=April 2024}} and season one, episode two of Santa Clarita Diet.{{cite web |date=2 February 2017 |author1=Caitlin Flynn |title=The 'Santa Clarita Diet' Soundtrack Is To Die For, So Create Your Own Playlist With These Songs |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/the-santa-clarita-diet-soundtrack-is-to-die-for-so-create-your-own-playlist-with-these-songs-35128 |website=Bustle.com }}
- In May 2023, the song was featured in an Amazon commercial where two brothers are bickering and their mother orders them space-themed tents for their beds to get them to stop their bickering.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
- In 2024, the song was featured in the trailer for The Strangers: Chapter 1.{{Cite web|last=Colangelo |first=BJ |title=Don't Let The Trailer Fool You – The Strangers: Chapter 1 Isn't A Prequel |work=/Film |date=May 17, 2024 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1583462/strangers-chapter-1-reboot-not-prequel-horror/ |access-date=May 29, 2024}}
- The song plays during the last scene of season one, episode two of Riverdale (American TV series).
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|lA-gGl6qihQ|"Trouble" Music video}}
{{Cage the Elephant}}
Category:Cage the Elephant songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Dan Auerbach
Category:Songs written by Matt Shultz (singer)
{{2010s-rock-song-stub}}