"Don't Look Down" is a song by Dutch DJ and record producer

Martin Garrix Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—201 ...

, featuring vocals from American singer Usher. It was released as a digital download on 17 March 2015 on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Background

Talking about his collaboration with Usher, Garrix said: "I had the track and he was at my manager Scooter’s house when I sent it over. Next thing I knew, I was on a FaceTime call with Usher, who said, 'I would love to do the track.' A week later, we were in the studio. It was super quick!" He also said the song is about "focusing on the positive side of everything."

Composition and critical reception

"Don't Look Down" is written in the key of

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 130 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of AmFC, and Usher's vocals span from G₃ to C₅. ''

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 advertise ...

'' Jason Lipshutz wrote, "Dutch EDM wunderkind Martin Garrix pivots from his standard sinister instrumental bangers and puts on his best

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

mask for 'Don't Look Down'. Usher has toed the now-or-never party line many times before, but his spirited vocals and a cheerful xylophone drop make this collabo a pop winner". Another ''Billboard'' contributor, Matt Madved, also noted Guetta's influences, with Garrix "ditching harder-edged trappings of festival house for cheery guitar-backed verses and a softer melodic lead".

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

's Robbie Daw called it "a nice blend of dance beats and radio-friendly pop that should be music to programmers’ ears."

Music video

A lyric video directed by

Rory Kramer Rory Kramer is an American photographer and filmmaker best known for directing music videos and his MTV show ''Dare to Live''. Early life Kramer was raised in Tell City, Indiana. His family owns a home in Clear Lake, Indiana. Career When he w ...

showing a man quitting his job and enjoying life was released on 17 March 2015. Two official music videos were released on 23 March 2015 giving a female and male perspective of work at a country club.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2015 singles Martin Garrix songs Usher (musician) songs 2015 songs Spinnin' Records singles Songs written by Martin Garrix Songs written by Usher (musician) Songs written by busbee Songs written by James Abrahart