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Fall Down (will.i.am song)

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"Fall Down"
Single by will.i.am featuring Miley Cyrus
from the album #willpower
ReleasedApril 16, 2013 (2013-04-16)
Genre
Length5:07
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
will.i.am singles chronology
"Bang Bang"
(2013) 		"Fall Down"
(2013) 		"Something Really Bad"
(2013)
Miley Cyrus singles chronology
"Ashtrays and Heartbreaks"
(2013) 		"Fall Down"
(2013) 		"We Can't Stop"
(2013)
Licensed audio
"Fall Down" on YouTube

"Fall Down" is a song by American recording artist will.i.am featuring Miley Cyrus from his fourth studio album, #willpower (2013). It was released on April 16, 2013, by Interscope Records as the fifth single from the album. The song was written and produced by will.i.am, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Cirkut. "Fall Down" is an electropop and hip hop song; it strays from the electronic dance elements displayed in will.i.am's earlier singles "Scream & Shout" and "#thatPower", and instead leans towards an urban contemporary style.

"Fall Down" received generally negative reviews from music critics, who were disappointed with its overall production and drew comparisons to the work of American recording artist Kesha. It peaked at number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and charted in the lower ends of several record charts worldwide. However, the song reached numbers 14 and 15 on the Australian ARIA Charts and the Official New Zealand Music Chart, respectively, being certified gold in both countries. In the United States when it was planned to be a single, the track was promoted with live performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Good Morning America, weeks later it was confirmed the single release was cancelled.

Background and composition

[edit]

"With Miley, it was a bit of a merger. I heard this wonderfulness bleeding through the doors and a friend of mine, Dr. Luke said to come and listen. And I was like, who is that? He just said, 'keep listening' and then he said, 'guess who it is?' I was like, Björk. Nope. Is it Portishead coming back?... It was Miley Cyrus. Then Miley walks in the room and I was like, this shit is fresh, we have to collaborate. Then she got on and added her vocals for 'Fall Down'."

— will.i.am describing his collaboration with Cyrus.[1]

"Fall Down" marks the first of three collaborations between will.i.am and Cyrus in 2013. In October, he was credited as a songwriter and producer on the track "Do My Thang" from her fourth studio album Bangerz,[2] while Cyrus was featured on his track "Feelin' Myself" from the reissue of his fourth studio album #willpower in November.[3] will.i.am first became interested in collaborating with Cyrus after hearing an earlier version of her single "Wrecking Ball", and came in contact with her through producer Mike Will Made It.[4]

"Fall Down" was first released on April 16, 2013, preceding the release of #willpower in the United States. It served as the follow-up to will.i.am's earlier singles "Scream & Shout" with Britney Spears and "#thatPower" with Justin Bieber,[5] and served as a promotional single from the record.[6] will.i.am and Cyrus promoted the song with live performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Good Morning America in June.[7][8] It was released to Australian radio stations in July 2013 as the third single from the record;[9] an Italian release followed on September 6.[10]

"Fall Down"
A 30-second sample of "Fall Down" by will.i.am featuring Miley Cyrus, where the chorus is heard.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In contrast from the electronic dance music elements presented in "Scream & Shout" and "#thatPower", "Fall Down" leans towards an urban contemporary musical style.[11] The chorus incorporates electropop elements, while the verses tend towards a hip hop format, while the track itself culminates with an orchestral bridge.[12] will.i.am mentioned the bridge as his favorite piece of #willpower, and described the overall song as sounding like "Quincy Jones just sneezed on it."[13] Lyrically, the track describes the positive impact a couple has on each other, as seen in the lines "Girl, you're like an elevator cause you always pick me up / Girl, you're like a doctor when I'm sick you always stitch me up".[14]

Critical reception

[edit]
Critics compared "Fall Down" to Dr. Luke's collaborations with Kesha (pictured).

"Fall Down" received generally negative reviews from music critics, who were disappointed with its overall production. Writing for AllMusic, Fred Thomas was displeased that featuring "big gun" Cyrus still resulted in a "manufactured disposable pop moment", and further elaborated that the song felt like one of #willpower's "interminable 15 tracks [that] were written in the studio moments before they were recorded."[15] Sam Lansky from Idolator shared a similar sentiment, opining that Cyrus felt "mostly phoned-in" by comparison with the "emotional punch" Cyrus delivered on her collaboration with American rapper Snoop Lion, "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks".[12] Andy Peterson of Contactmusic.com criticized the production of the track, stating that listeners are "treated to the sort of identikit trance-plus-autotune sound that's been annexing American teen culture in the last couple of years".[16]

Writing for entertainment.ie, Karen Lawler criticized lyrics like "you could be my Coca Cola, let me sip it up" for acting as a substitute for the "articulate rhymes on which [will.i.am] built his reputation",[17] Brent Faulkner from PopMatters agreed that the lyrical content was sub-par, and called the song itself "utterly ridiculous".[18] Mesfin Fekadu from The Huffington Post called Cyrus' contributions to the song "forgettable".[19] Gregory Hicks of The Michigan Daily compared "Fall Down" to "Die Young" and "Crazy Kids" by American recording artist Kesha, all three of which were produced by Dr. Luke, which Hicks felt indicated that "Dr. Luke's production and writing continues to dwindle as he copy and pastes his work with Ke$ha onto this will.i.am track."[20]

Commercial performance

[edit]

In the United States, "Fall Down" peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted at number four on the Dance/Electronic Songs component chart.[21] The track reached number 15 on the Canadian Hot 100, which is also organized by Billboard.[22] In Europe, the track experienced varying commercial success. "Fall Down" peaked at number 17 on the Irish Singles Chart,[23] and charted at number 37 on the Swedish Sverigetopplistan.[24] It reached number 45 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 and number 48 on the French SNEP.[24] The track respectively peaked at numbers 50 and 52 on the Wallonia Ultratop and the Flanders Ultratip in Belgian,[24] and respectively reached numbers five and 30 on the Dance charts in each region.[24][25] It also charted at number 59 on the Swiss Hitparade.[24] In Oceania, "Fall Down" respectively peaked at numbers 14 and 15 on the Australian ARIA Charts and the Official New Zealand Music Chart;[24] it was certified platinum in Australia,[26] and gold in New Zealand.[27]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of #willpower.[28]

  • Produced by Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Cirkut
  • Written by William Adams, Lukasz Gottwald, Benjamin Levin, Henry Walter
  • Orchestral and string arrangement by Onree Gill and will.i.am
  • Orchestral portions by Czech Symphony Orchestra
  • Mixed by Serban Ghenea
  • Additional mixing by Dylan "3-d" Dresdow
  • Recorded and engineered by Clint Gibbs at Luke's In The Boo in Malibu, Ca & will.i.am and Padraic "Padlock" Kerin at Record Plant in Hollywood, Ca
  • Engineering assisted by Rachel Findlen
  • Czech Symphony Orchestra recorded and engineered by Michal Pekárek at Ve Smečkách in Prague, Czech Republic

Charts and certifications

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom April 16, 2013 Digital download Polydor [6]
United States Interscope [5]
Australia July 2013 Contemporary hit radio Universal Music [9]
Italy September 6, 2013 [10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Amy Nelmes (April 2013). "Exclusive interview: Will.i.am believes Miley Cyrus will be the new Bjork!". MSN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  2. ^ Bangerz (Media notes). Miley Cyrus. RCA Records. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Neha Prakash (November 26, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Stars in Will.i.am's 'Feelin' Myself' Video". Mashable. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  4. ^ "will.i.am on Working with Pop Star Miley Cyrus". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. September 30, 2013. Archived from the original on November 23, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Rachel Brodsky (April 16, 2013). "New Song: will.i.am Featuring Miley Cyrus, 'Fall Down'". MTV Buzzworthy. Viacom. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Fall Down (feat. Miley Cyrus) - Single by will.i.am". iTunes Store (GB). Apple Inc. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  7. ^ Sam Lansky (June 26, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Performs "We Can't Stop" & "Fall Down" On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live': Watch". Idolator. Spin Media. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  8. ^ Sam Lansky (June 26, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Performs "We Can't Stop" & "Fall Down" On 'Good Morning America' Now". Idolator. Spin Media. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "ARIA Take 40 Chart Facts 13th July 2013 - Avicii Stays Number One With 'Wake Me Up'". Take 40 Australia. July 13, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ a b "will.i.am - Fall Down (Universal)". Radio Airplay. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "Miley Cyrus New Song With Will.I.Am 'Fall Down' - Listen Here!". Take 40 Australia. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Sam Lansky (April 15, 2013). "Miley Cyrus & Will.i.am Team Up For "Fall Down": Listen". Idolator. Spin Media. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  13. ^ Krista Wick (April 23, 2013). "Will.i.am: Miley's New Album Will 'Redefine' Her". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  14. ^ "Will I Am - Fall Down Lyrics". MetroLyrics. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ Fred Thomas. "#willpower - will.i.am". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Andy Peterson (May 22, 2013). "Will.i.am - #Willpower Album Review". Contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  17. ^ Karen Lawler (April 22, 2013). "Album Review: will.i.am - 'Willpower'". entertainment.ie. The Irish Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Brent Faulker (May 9, 2013). "will.i.am: #willpower". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  19. ^ Mesfin Fekadu (April 22, 2013). "'Willpower' Album From Will.i.am Disappoints, As Rapper's Latest Effort Is 'Forced'". The Huffington Post. AOL. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  20. ^ Gregory Hicks (April 23, 2013). "Not much '#willpower' in will.i.am's new release". The Michigan Daily. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  21. ^ "will.i.am - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  22. ^ "will.i.am - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  23. ^ "GKF Chart-Track". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus - Fall Down". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  25. ^ a b "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus - Fall Down". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – will.i.am – Fall Down". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  28. ^ #willpower (Media notes). will.i.am. Interscope Records. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  30. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  31. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  32. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  33. ^ "will.i.am Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  34. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  35. ^ "Chart Track: Week 29, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  36. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  37. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay New. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  38. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  39. ^ "will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus – Fall Down". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  40. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  41. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  42. ^ "will.i.am Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  43. ^ "will.i.am Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  44. ^ "2013 Annual ARIA Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  45. ^ "Top Single de l'année 2013". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  46. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. 13 December 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  47. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – will.i.am feat. Miley Cyrus" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
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