"Misbehaving" is a song by English singer-songwriter

Labrinth Timothy Lee McKenzie (born 4 January 1989), better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Labrinth signed as a recording artist with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music in 2010, ini ...

. It was written and produced by Labrinth, with additional production from Nathaniel Ledwidge. The song was released through

Syco Music Syco Music, originally S Records, was a division of Syco Entertainment which operated from 2002 until 2020. The label was founded by British entrepreneur, record executive and media personality Simon Cowell, who was formerly employed at Bertels ...

on 15 September 2017. It was featured in an

Apple Watch Series 3 The Apple Watch is a brand of smartwatch products developed and marketed by Apple. It incorporates fitness tracking, health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates with watchOS and other Apple products and servi ...

commercial prior to its release.

Background

The song was adopted in an Apple Watch Series 3 commercial, titled "Roll", which was debuted during an Apple event on 12 September 2017. However, viewers were unable to identify the song, as audio-recognizing apps, including Shazam, failed to recognize the song. After a series of speculation on social media, Labrinth revealed that it is his song, as well as one of those from his forthcoming album. Labrinth told ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'': "I feel like I have music to share with the world so I'm so ready to make it to that international level so that's pretty much where I'm at right now, and it feels like all the opportunities that are lined up are based on that. So I'm just mega-excited about sharing what I've been creating for such a while." On the album, an alternate version of the song appears, titled "Misbehaving - The Misfit Version ".

Critical reception

Anna Tingley of ''Billboard'' felt the song's "heavy, upbeat, synthesized beat" and "Labrinth's crafty lyrics" fits the commercial, as it narrates "the reckless behavior of the commercial's characters". She predicts that being featured in an Apple commercial "may prove a formative step that launches him into international stardom".

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called it "a zany four-minute romp", praising Labrinth for combining funk, soul, reggae, trap and electro timelessly in the song.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. * Labrinth – songwriting, production, engineering, keyboard, bass guitar, drums, guitar, piano * Nathaniel Ledwidge – production * Robbie Nelson – mixing engineering *

Emily Lazar Emily B. Lazar is an American mastering engineer. She is the founder, president, and chief mastering engineer of The Lodge, an audio mastering facility that has operated in New York City's Greenwich Village since 1997. She won a Grammy Award for ...

– mastering engineering * Alex Maynard – trumpet * Rory Simmons – trumpet *

Nik Carter Nik is a male nickname/moniker derived from the Ancient Greek word ''νίκη'' (nike), meaning 'victory'. The name Nik is a shortened form that has several origins. One of the interpretations is that the name comes from Nike (mythology), Nike, th ...

– saxophone * Steven Fuller – trombone

References

{{authority control 2017 singles 2017 songs Labrinth songs Songs written by Labrinth Song recordings produced by Labrinth Syco Music singles