writes about the terror of being in a relationship "with white-knuckled worry over a snip of florid piano from a ’70s soft-core porn flick". While analysing Alright, Still, The Guardian reviewer, Sophie Heawood, described the lyrics as the "perfect description of missing someone: 'We'd spend the whole weekend lying in our own dirt / I was just so happy in your boxers and your T-shirt'." Mark Pytlik from Pitchfork gave a positive review, saying that "'Littlest Things' is a supple piano-tickler that provides one of Allen's sweetest lyrical moments while simultaneously leaving Ms. Dynamite in the dust on the R&B balladeering front". He believed that the song is made out of Allen's "comfort zone" of songs such as "Smile", the result being of "high order, if not a bit more erratic". IGN reviewer Todd Gilchrist named the song as the album's "most affecting tune", while thought it "compiles a sad and beautiful checklist of the intimate moments she no longer shares with her dearly departed boyfriend". Commercial reception The single debuted at number fifty-three in the singer's home country and later rose to twenty-one, which became its peak. It was Allen's lowest position on the UK Singles Chart at that time, being the only song to miss the top twenty, until "Who'd Have Known" peaked at thirty-nine in 2009. Though it did not enter the main chart in the Flanders region of Belgium, the single obtained position thirteen on Ultratip, a continuation of the chart. Music video The music video was directed by Nima Nourizadeh and released on 11 December 2006. It opens with an aerial shot of a piano which begins to play by itself, and then moves to reveal a film set. Allen stands on a lamppost, wearing a raincoat, with lights, a camera and directors surrounding her. The image zooms into the camera from the studio and turns the video black-and-white, with the story coming to life, as the singer begins the first verse. From the lamppost she is able to see her former self walking down the street with her boyfriend. While they enter a building, a light comes out in one of the windows, revealing their silhouettes kissing. The caption changes, with the two of them dancing, while a man plays the piano in the background; as he dips her and holds this position, she continues to sing. The camera zooms out to see a