Falling Down (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
Encyclopedia
"Falling Down" is a song performed by the American band Selena Gomez & the Scene
. It was co-written and produced by Ted Bruner
and Trey Vittetoe. Gina Schock
of the Go-Go's
also receives writing credits. The song was released on August 25, 2009 as the lead single
from their debut album, Kiss & Tell
. The upbeat dance-pop
song contains heavy usage of synths has prominent pop rock
characteristics and lyrically is a mix of elaboration of a bad relationship and according to Gomez, a ridicule of fame
. Most critics complimented Gomez's delivery and catchy lyrics. "Falling Down" received minor commercial success in multiple countries, charting in the lower regions of the US Billboard Hot 100
and the Canadian Hot 100
. The song's accompanying music video features Gomez at a photo-shoot, and she and the band performing on a stage. The band performed the song a number of times, including on the ninth season
of Dancing with the Stars.
, Trey Vittetoe and Gina Schock
of the Go-Go's
, who also contributed to other songs on Gomez's debut album
. Lyrically, "Falling Down" is said to be in regards to accusations of wrongdoing and has a sense of longing for a non-benefiting relationship. However in an interview, Gomez stated, during an interview that the song ultimately is a ridicule of the Hollywood life and fame
, that was the meaning behind "Smile for the camera, 'cause they're all about to trash ya'." Gomez further elaborated on the concept of the song on an interview with Just Jared Jr., saying,
of Dancing with the Stars. During the performance, professional dancers Derek Hough
and Karina Smirnoff
danced to the song. Tamara Brooks of Zap2it
commented "The song's catchy but Selena doesn't look entirely comfortable on stage to me. It's very...rehearsed. But the dancing was faboo." Additionally, they performed the song at numerous concerts in 2009 and 2010, including their House of Blues Tour, the Kiss & Tell Tour and their Fairs & Festivals tour.
that carries characteristics of dance-pop
and pop rock
. It features "aggressive" guitar and drum lines powered by "bloopy" synths
. Bill Lamb of About.com
noted that the song seemed to be influenced by Avril Lavgine. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy
said the song sounded "suspiciously similar to Pink's 'U + Ur Hand
'." Bill Lamb of About.com
gave the single 4 out of 5 stars, calling the song "catchy" and commending Gomez's "sassy" vocals and its lyrics. Lamb also noted that "The mix leaves in Gomez' occasional breathless delivery that only conveys more immediacy for the song." A CBBC
reviewer complimented the song's "catchy lyrics," stating "you will have them in your head for days!" Rob Perez of NocheLatina called the track one of the best on the album. Robet Copsey of Digital Spy
said the song and its lyrics sounded "uninspired."
at number ninety-three. It later peaked at eighty-two..It became the band's first and lowest charting single in the United State
to date. In the same week, "Falling Down" also appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
Canada, debuting at number sixty-nine. It spent two weeks on the chart, falling to eighty-two in its second week. It re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety-two for the week ending January 9, 2010. The song managed to peak at eleven on the Australian Hitseekers Singles Chart
at number eleven. On the Japan Hot 100
"Falling Down" debuted at number twenty-four on the week dated March 6, 2010. A week later, it peaked at number fifteen on the chart.
, succeeding Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
on August 28, 2009. It became available for purchase on iTunes
the next day.
The music video commences with shots of Gomez singing the first lines, "whoa, whoa," and bright lights shining upon her; she is wearing a gray shirt, black tights and boots and has long brown hair. Then, the rest of the band, composed of four male members, is seen as Gomez dances and nods her head. The background in the music video is a large projection of patterned geometrical figures that constantly alter to divergent colors. Gomez is then seen in a "photo shoot
-like" set wearing a white shirt and a zebra-patterned skirt. As the video progresses Gomez and the rest of the band are seen singing, dancing, playing instruments and using props. Gomez holds a mirror and plastic roses, which she then throws away, in conjunction to the song's lines. The video ends with Gomez taking a quick bow while still holding her microphone.
Source
Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...
. It was co-written and produced by Ted Bruner
Ted Bruner
Ted Bruner is a musician, songwriter, and producer originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Bruner began his professional music career when his band Colony was signed to MCA Records in 1998. In 2002, he relocated to Los Angeles and began writing and producing for Rondor Music/Universal. He left...
and Trey Vittetoe. Gina Schock
Gina Schock
Gina Schock is best known as the drummer in the all-girl punk/pop band The Go-Go's....
of the Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
also receives writing credits. The song was released on August 25, 2009 as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their debut album, Kiss & Tell
Kiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Kiss & Tell is the debut studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. Gomez formed the band as she stated she did not want to become a solo artist quite yet. The band worked with several writers and producers on the album...
. The upbeat dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song contains heavy usage of synths has prominent pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
characteristics and lyrically is a mix of elaboration of a bad relationship and according to Gomez, a ridicule of fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. Most critics complimented Gomez's delivery and catchy lyrics. "Falling Down" received minor commercial success in multiple countries, charting in the lower regions of the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The song's accompanying music video features Gomez at a photo-shoot, and she and the band performing on a stage. The band performed the song a number of times, including on the ninth season
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9)
Dancing with the Stars returned for a ninth season on September 21, 2009, on a three-night premiere. Executive producer Conrad Green confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the 9th season would start off with 16 celebrities, with 3 double-eliminations halfway through the season...
of Dancing with the Stars.
Background and release
The song was written by Ted BrunerTed Bruner
Ted Bruner is a musician, songwriter, and producer originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Bruner began his professional music career when his band Colony was signed to MCA Records in 1998. In 2002, he relocated to Los Angeles and began writing and producing for Rondor Music/Universal. He left...
, Trey Vittetoe and Gina Schock
Gina Schock
Gina Schock is best known as the drummer in the all-girl punk/pop band The Go-Go's....
of the Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
, who also contributed to other songs on Gomez's debut album
Kiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Kiss & Tell is the debut studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. Gomez formed the band as she stated she did not want to become a solo artist quite yet. The band worked with several writers and producers on the album...
. Lyrically, "Falling Down" is said to be in regards to accusations of wrongdoing and has a sense of longing for a non-benefiting relationship. However in an interview, Gomez stated, during an interview that the song ultimately is a ridicule of the Hollywood life and fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, that was the meaning behind "Smile for the camera, 'cause they're all about to trash ya'." Gomez further elaborated on the concept of the song on an interview with Just Jared Jr., saying,
"It's basically about Hollywood and what people think about it and essentially how plastic it is sometimes. It's fun and I think girls can relate to it somewhat, for me it was because of Hollywood but it can really relate to a mean girl, an ex-boyfriend, to whoever."The single was released for digital download in the United States and Canada on August 25, 2009. It was also released for digital download in Australia on September 25, 2009. Gomez & the Scene first performed the song live on the ninth season
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9)
Dancing with the Stars returned for a ninth season on September 21, 2009, on a three-night premiere. Executive producer Conrad Green confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the 9th season would start off with 16 celebrities, with 3 double-eliminations halfway through the season...
of Dancing with the Stars. During the performance, professional dancers Derek Hough
Derek Hough
Derek Hough is an American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor. A world champion in Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 on the hit U.S...
and Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
danced to the song. Tamara Brooks of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
commented "The song's catchy but Selena doesn't look entirely comfortable on stage to me. It's very...rehearsed. But the dancing was faboo." Additionally, they performed the song at numerous concerts in 2009 and 2010, including their House of Blues Tour, the Kiss & Tell Tour and their Fairs & Festivals tour.
Composition and critical reception
"Falling Down" is a pop songPop Song
Pop Song is the first single by the Drugs. It was released in 2000 and earned the Drugs some positive press. It has been described as "addictive". A live version was released on The Only Way Is Up...
that carries characteristics of dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
. It features "aggressive" guitar and drum lines powered by "bloopy" synths
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
noted that the song seemed to be influenced by Avril Lavgine. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
said the song sounded "suspiciously similar to Pink's 'U + Ur Hand
U + Ur Hand
"U + Ur Hand" is a song by American singer and songwriter Pink. It was lined up as the third single from her fourth studio album I'm Not Dead . It was released in August, 2006 to ignite controversy due to its explicit lyrical content and strong language.The song was written by Pink, Max Martin and Dr...
'." Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the single 4 out of 5 stars, calling the song "catchy" and commending Gomez's "sassy" vocals and its lyrics. Lamb also noted that "The mix leaves in Gomez' occasional breathless delivery that only conveys more immediacy for the song." A CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
reviewer complimented the song's "catchy lyrics," stating "you will have them in your head for days!" Rob Perez of NocheLatina called the track one of the best on the album. Robet Copsey of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
said the song and its lyrics sounded "uninspired."
Chart performance
The song debuted on the September 12, 2009 edition of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number ninety-three. It later peaked at eighty-two..It became the band's first and lowest charting single in the United State
United State
United State may refer to:* Union of Russia and Belarus, sometimes called the United State * United States* United State of Electronica, the Seattle dance/rock band...
to date. In the same week, "Falling Down" also appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
Canada, debuting at number sixty-nine. It spent two weeks on the chart, falling to eighty-two in its second week. It re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety-two for the week ending January 9, 2010. The song managed to peak at eleven on the Australian Hitseekers Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number eleven. On the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
"Falling Down" debuted at number twenty-four on the week dated March 6, 2010. A week later, it peaked at number fifteen on the chart.
Music video
The music video to "Falling Down", directed by Chris Dooley, was first seen on Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
, succeeding Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy-drama fantasy film based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. Filmed primarily in San Juan, Puerto Rico in February and March 2009, the Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on August 28,...
on August 28, 2009. It became available for purchase on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
the next day.
The music video commences with shots of Gomez singing the first lines, "whoa, whoa," and bright lights shining upon her; she is wearing a gray shirt, black tights and boots and has long brown hair. Then, the rest of the band, composed of four male members, is seen as Gomez dances and nods her head. The background in the music video is a large projection of patterned geometrical figures that constantly alter to divergent colors. Gomez is then seen in a "photo shoot
Photo shoot
A photo shoot is generally used in the fashion industry, whereby a model poses for a photographer at a studio where multiple photos are taken to find the best ones for the required brief...
-like" set wearing a white shirt and a zebra-patterned skirt. As the video progresses Gomez and the rest of the band are seen singing, dancing, playing instruments and using props. Gomez holds a mirror and plastic roses, which she then throws away, in conjunction to the song's lines. The video ends with Gomez taking a quick bow while still holding her microphone.
Credits and personnel
- Songwriters: Ted Bruner, Trey Vittetoe, Gina Schock
- Production: Ted Bruner, Trey Vittetoe
- Mixing: Clif Norrell
Source
Charts
| Charts (2009–10) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Hitseekers Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
11 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
69 |
| Japan Hot 100 | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 82 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | August 25, 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| United States | ||
| Australia | September 25, 2009 | |