I Knew You Were Trouble

"I Knew You Were Trouble" (stylized as "I Knew You Were Trouble.") is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and third single from her fourth studio album Red (2012). It was released on October 9, 2012 in the United States by Big Machine Records as the third promotional single from the album. It was released as the third single from the album in the United States on November 27, 2012 and will be released as the second single from the album in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2012. It was written by Swift herself and co-written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its mainstream appeal yet noted Swift's experimentation with dubstep as relatively limited. Due to strong digital sales, the song debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, selling more than 416,000 copies within its first week, making it Swift's fourteenth entry in the top ten, as well as her eleventh debut in the top ten. It also charted in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Background

When Swift previewed the song on Good Morning America, she said that it was "a song about being frustrated with yourself because here you are heart-broken and you knew when you first saw that person you saw all these red flags and you just went for it anyway, so shame on me."

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its mainstream appeal though many noted Swift's experimentation with dubstep was relatively limited. The New York Times critic Jon Caramanica praised the song, calling it "one of the year's great pop songs" and noting that the dubstep element "arrives halfway through like a wrecking ball, changing the course not just of the song but also of Ms. Swift's career." Spin compared the song positively to lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", calling it "peppy, uber-catchy pop" and "a far cry from traditional country." The article also commented that "yes, 'Trouble' shows some wub... But as dubstep breakdowns have increasingly become just another feature of the ever-changing pop landscape, like Auto-Tune or 2 Chainz guest spots, what emerges here is merely another sharply crafted Swift kiss-off, in post-David Guetta dance-pop clothing." Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly commented in a short review that I Knew You Were Trouble. "has the same kind of defiant pop-radio oomph that made her fourth album’s other big breakup banger, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' a number one." MTV.com described the track as "chaotic" commenting on how "the song touches on all genres of music, with moments of straight-up Top 40 pop, country and even dance, with its grinding effects, especially on the bumping chorus." The review echoes one of Swift's own comments about the song; during the GMA preview she stated: "It’s a song that’s one of my favorite songs on the album because it sounds just as chaotic as the feeling was when I wrote it." Idolator was conflicted but hopeful about the departure from Swift's typical sound, remarking that "the hook isn’t quite as immediate as 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' but Martin’s stamp is still all over 'Trouble,' from the bright, sparkly instrumentation to the keen, radio-friendly melody. There might be a little part of us that misses Swift’s very personal and idiosyncratic songcraft, but it’s already clear that it’s elsewhere on the album — and the introduction of these all-star producers into the mix is giving Swift a chance to show that she’s way more versatile than just a girl with a guitar." Vorlage:Listen

Chart performance

The song debuted at number three on Billboard Hot 100 with 416,000 copies sold in its first week, Swift's second largest first week singles sales. It became Swift's 14th top 10 hit and her 11th song to debut inside the top 10. With sales of 416,000 from "I Knew You Were Trouble", Taylor Swift became the first artist in digital history to have two songs that debuted with sales of 400,000 or more copies.

Music video

The music video began filming on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. On November 20th, pictures from the set surfaced online showing Swift with a more rocker look and pink tipped hair.

Live performances

Taylor Swift first performed the song on November 18, 2012 at the 40th Anniversary of the American Music Awards, on November 25, 2012 in the Australian TV program Today and on November 29, 2012 at the ARIA Music Awards 2012.

Charts and certifications

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Chart (2012)	Peak position
Japan (Billboard Japan Hot 100)	94
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	30
US Pop Songs (Billboard)	40

Certifications

Country	Certification (sales thresholds)
New Zealand	Gold

Release history

List of radio and release dates with formats and record labels

Country	Date	Format	Label
United States	October 8, 2012	Radio premiere, Promotional single – digital download	Big Machine Records
	November 27, 2012	Mainstream radio
United Kingdom	December 10, 2012