a Perfect World.... According to J.K. Glei of Cincinnati Metromix said the song has "cascading synths," and a "classic pop structure." However Glei said that Hilson's vocals "feel flat against the driving beat" and that Timbaland "fully phones it in." While noting the song "follows the same blueprint" of Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous", Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said it was a "satisfying pop romp" and said even though Hilson lacked Furtado's distinctiveness, that it "shouldn't have a problem striking a chord at radio." Nick Levine of Digital Spy said, the song was "a perfectly decent slice of midtempo Timba-pop, but it's not really in the same league as the brilliant 'The Way I Are'." MTV Buzzworthy said "slightly less out-there are the beats -- which sound an awful lot like Hilson and Timbaland's first collaboration, "The Way I Are"—and the cameo from Timba himself." Sophie Bruce of BBC Music thought that the song lacked the a catchy hook such as in "The Way I Are." Less than impressed with Timbaland's rapping and "less than sexy" vocal appeal, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said the "unfortunate pairing" was reprised, and the song "encapsulates the record’s shortcomings." Chart performance "Return the Favor" was the most successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland, peaking at nineteen in both countries. In Austria, the song debuted and peaked at twenty-five on the Austrian Singles Chart, before falling off after six weeks. On the Swedish Singles Chart, It debuted and peaked at thirty, before falling off after six weeks on the chart. In Belgium, "Return the Favore" appeared on Belgian Tip Charts, peaking at six in Flanders, and seventeen Wallonia. While debuting and peaking at twenty-one on the German Singles Chart, it completed nine weeks on the chart before falling off. It made the lower regions of the ARIA Singles Chart appearing at eighty. Music video The music video was directed by Melina, who directed Hilson's video for "Energy." A preview of the video was released on October 14, 2008, and the full video premiered on October 23, 2008. Featuring a futuristic concept, the video begins with a small clip from Timbaland and Hilson's "The Way I Are", before it cuts to Hilson dancing in a future-like room while scenes are shown on a wall behind Timbaland, who is seated in a chair. Hilson is then show in a pink ruffled bra and dress