"Fallin" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
from her debut studio album, ''
Songs in A Minor'' (2001). Written and produced by Keys, "Fallin'" is generally considered her
signature song
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...
.
It was released as the
lead single from ''Songs in A Minor'' on April 10, 2001, by
J Records. The official remix features rappers
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
and
Rampage.
"Fallin'" attained global commercial success, reaching number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the top 10 in several countries, topping the charts of
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. In 2009, "Fallin'" was named the 29th most successful song of the 2000s, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Songs of the Decade. Critically acclaimed, it won three
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, including
Song of the Year,
Best R&B Song, and
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and was also nominated for
Record of the Year.
Music and lyrics
"Fallin'" was written and produced solely by Keys.
When asked about the lyrical background for the song, Keys 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 adverti ...
'': "I wanted to write a song for someone who was 10 or 12 years old – like a young
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
. Even though he was young, he was singing some deep stuff back then.
he songis about the ins and outs of a relationship. Sometimes, you're completely head-over-heels in love with someone, and sometimes you can't stand that person. You fall in and out, sometimes it goes back and forth, and that's just what relationships are about."
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, "Fallin'" is set in
12/8 time with a "free" tempo of 60
beats per minute.
It is composed in the key of
E minor, with Keys' vocal range spanning from the low-note of B
3 to the high-note of E
5.
The song has a basic
chord progression of Em–Bm
7–Em–Bm
7 as it follows a "moderate blues tempo" throughout the chorus of the song.
Critical reception
''NME'' called "Fallin'" a "
ssive, massive massive hit" adding "Piano tinkles, drum machine coughs like an whippet and Alicia strokes your spine with ice cubes and spatters your spotty back with hot candle wax". The song was described as "gospel fervor of lovesick righteousness" by Beth Johnson of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
''.
Robert Hilburn of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' described the song as having "the
neo-soul vitality of
Macy Gray
Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday.
Gray ha ...
and
Jill Scott."
Sam Faulkner of ''
NME'' said that the song had "deeper moments
hatcreep up and grab you exemplified."
Mark Anthony Neal of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television
...
'' said that the song "combines Keys' natural blues register with a subtle, and brilliantly so, sample of
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...
's '
It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World'."
Barry Walters of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' said "there's no denying the serious early
Aretha vibe permeating the hit."
Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine'' said that "the gospel-tinged
ong Ong or ONG may refer to:
Arts and media
* Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction
* “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip
Places
* Ong, Nebraska, US, city
* Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town
* Ong River, Odisha, ...
starts out simply with measured piano and basic drum programming, eventually building to a
crescendo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
of operatic proportions."
Steve Jones of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' described the song as "a bluesy ode to self-destructive love" and further commented that the song "is only a teaser for what she has to offer."
Simon Price of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' called the song Keys' breakthrough song and noted how the
melody of the song is similar to
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
's "
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems. ".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
pointed out the lack of depth in the song, saying it "doesn't have much body to it", which he felt was "a testament to Keys' skills as a musician."
Accolades
One of the most critically acclaimed singles of 2001, "Fallin'" was nominated for numerous awards. It connected well with
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
(NARAS) and was nominated for four
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s at the
44th ceremony (2002):
Song of the Year,
Record of the Year,
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and
Best R&B Song. It ended up winning all but one of the four awards, as Record of the Year was awarded to
U2's "
Walk On".
At the 2001
''Billboard'' Music Awards, "Fallin'" was nominated for the Hot 100 Single of the Year; however, it lost the award to
Lifehouse's "
Hanging by a Moment
"Hanging by a Moment" is a song by American alternative rock band Lifehouse. It was the first single released from their debut studio album, '' No Name Face'' (2000), issued through DreamWorks Records. The track was written by lead singer Jaso ...
". The song was also nominated for
Outstanding Song and
Outstanding Music Video at the 2002
NAACP Image Awards; it did not win in either category.
On ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
''s 2001
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abs ...
critics' poll, "Fallin'" appeared at number four. In September 2011, "Fallin'" was placed at number 22 by
VH1 on its list "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s". "
spel vibe and powerful vocals form Keys" led ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' to place the song on number two on its list "The 25 Best Alicia Keys Songs". ''
The Telegraph
''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include:
Australia
* ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' compiled a list of "100 songs that defined the Noughties" and placed "Fallin'" at number 97. In December 2009, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked it at number 62 on their list "100 Best Songs of the Decade". "Fallin'" placed at number 413 on ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...
'' magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". In 2011, the song was ranked at number five on
Nerve's list "The 25 Greatest Love Songs of the 2000s".
Commercial performance
In the United States, "Fallin'" debuted at number 98 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week of June 16, 2001. The song peaked atop the chart in its tenth week.
It remained on the chart for a total of 34 weeks and managed to chart on the 2001
''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 at number two, behind
Lifehouse's "
Hanging by a Moment
"Hanging by a Moment" is a song by American alternative rock band Lifehouse. It was the first single released from their debut studio album, '' No Name Face'' (2000), issued through DreamWorks Records. The track was written by lead singer Jaso ...
"; however, it was the highest-charting number-one single on the chart in 2001.
Music video
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Fallin'" was directed by
Chris Robinson. The video opens with a radio playing "
Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved.
In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the in ...
", where Keys is sitting at a piano. The plot has Keys traveling to a
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
to visit her incarcerated boyfriend.
The plot is continued in the video for Keys' next single "
A Woman's Worth", which explores what happens when Keys' boyfriend is released and, with her help, adjusts back to regular life. Keys said in an interview that originally, she was supposed to be the one incarcerated, and her boyfriend was visiting her.
Track listings and formats
* US 12-inch vinyl (remix)
:A1. "Fallin'" (remix) (featuring
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
and
Rampage) – 4:15
:A2. "Fallin'" (remix) (instrumental version) – 4:15
:B1. "Fallin'" (remix) (without rap) – 3:35
:B2. "Fallin'" (radio version) – 3:16
* UK CD single
# "Fallin'" (radio version) – 3:16
# "Fallin'" (remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
# "Rear View Mirror" – 4:03
# "Fallin'" (video/picture gallery/lyrics)
* UK 12-inch single
:A1. "Fallin'" (remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
:B1. "Fallin'" (album version) – 3:30
:B2. "Fallin'" (instrumental) – 3:06
* UK cassette single
# "Fallin'" (radio version) – 3:16
# "Fallin'" (remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
# "Rear View Mirror" – 4:03
* European CD single
# "Fallin'" – 3:30
# "Fallin'" (extended remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
* European CD maxi-single
# "Fallin'" (radio edit) – 3:16
# "Fallin'" (album version) – 3:30
# "Fallin'" (extended remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
# "Fallin'" (Remix) (without rap) – 3:35
# "Fallin'" (remix instrumental) – 4:15
# "Fallin'" (video)
* Australian and New Zealand CD maxi-single
# "Fallin'" (radio edit) – 3:16
# "Fallin'" (album version) – 3:30
# "Fallin'" (extended remix) (featuring Busta Rhymes and Rampage) – 4:15
# "Fallin'" (remix) (without rap) – 3:35
# "Fallin'" (remix instrumental) – 4:15
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''
Songs in A Minor''.
*Alicia Keys –
lead vocals,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
, all other instruments,
producer,
arranger
*
Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari ( he, מירי בן-ארי; born December 4, 1978) is an American–Israeli musician, producer, and humanitarian, known as "the hip-hop violinist".
Life and career
Ben-Ari was born in Tel Aviv District, Israel. She grew up playing ...
–
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
*
Kerry "Krucial" Brothers
Kerry Brothers Jr. (born October 1, 1970), also known as "Krucial", is an American record producer, songwriter and hip hop artist. Brothers and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys began a musical partnership in the mid-1990s, co-writing and co-producin ...
–
drum programming
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These ...
*
Spaceman Patterson – guitar
*Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals
*Tammy Saunders – backing vocals
*Andricka Hall – backing vocals
*
Russ Elevado –
mixer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2001
*
Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 2001
*
List of number-one singles in 2001 (New Zealand)
*
List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2001 (U.S.)
*
List of number-one R&B singles of 2001 (U.S.)
*
List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2001
*
List of Hot 100 Airplay number-one singles of 2001 (U.S.)
*
List of top 10 singles in 2001 (UK)
*
List of best-selling singles of 2001 (Germany)
*
''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2001
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2001 debut singles
2001 songs
2000s ballads
Alicia Keys songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Contemporary R&B ballads
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
J Records singles
Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director)
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Songs written by Alicia Keys
Soul ballads
Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles
Song recordings produced by Alicia Keys