Nia Peeples

Trouble

Album: Nothin’ But Trouble

Year:  1988

             Nia Peeples realizes she’s with a narcisstic boyfriend who will likely go psycho on her in the fierce “Trouble.”

                Chafed synths open the single, setting a ticked off tone. She reads through the credit card receipts. There’s a few for a nearby hotel and most are for dinners. She wasn’t there with him at all. She wonders to herself what exactly is she doing. She let herself be blind to his cheating. Sure, he’s gorgeous but she is no longer proud of that fact. He is who he is.         (“I must be out of my head/Or just plain crazy for you/'Cause I've been turnin' my back/At all the things you do/I want a feelin' that lasts much longer/Nothin' is bound to change/It's never the same for you/Well, I can't take it no more.”)

                 In the chorus, she knows it’s a relationship that will always favor him. Nothing is ever good enough for him. She’d be better off. (“'Cause you spell trouble/Trouble/I try to please you/But I'm wastin' my time/You're nothin' but trouble/Trouble/Trouble, baby.”)

               She mentions that she likes reciprocation. He says loudly that he doesn’t keep score. But she can name several times he did. He expects her to just drop everything for his family outings and career events. Yet, she is left making excuses for him when “stuff comes up” for her family dinners. She believes he liked her at one time but grew bored of her. She’s always wondering if he’s going to leave. She can’t live that way anymore. (“You're always on the attack/You know, you're too in love with yourself/So now I'm giving it back/Your time is overdue/Don't wanna be just a fascination/I need to feel secure/It's never the same for you/Well, I can't take it no more.”)

                      The chorus is sung twice.

                       In the bridge, she tells him it’s over. (“A-ha that's right you're Trouble/So get out/You're nothin' but trouble/You're nothin' but trouble.”)

          In the final section, she laments the fact she’s was with such a loser. (“Oh, Trouble/Oh, baby/Trouble baby/Trouble/Say Yeah, Yeah/Trouble.”)

                Peeples isn’t going to take any crap from any guy. She’s done being weak and submissive. She can grab attention and has presence but isn’t given much to do other than imitate Janet Jackson. There is potential (a spoken section would’ve been awesome) but it’s not fulfilled. Despite that, Peeples is still able to distinguish herself.

             The underestimated   “Trouble” is someone A wouldn’t even think of messing with at all.