"Fallin'" is a song recorded, written, and produced by
American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Alicia Keys for her
debut album,
Songs in A Minor(2001). Released to radio and music
video outlets in 2001, it is generally considered her signature
song. "Fallin'" became Keys' first number-one single in the
United States and her first top five hit in several countries.
It is also Keys' second biggest single to date after 2007's "No
One". "Fallin'" won three Grammy Awards in 2002, including Song
of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal
Performance. In 2009 the single was named the 29th most
successful song of the 2000s, on the
BillboardHot 100 Songs of the Decade.
Rolling Stoneranked it number sixty-two on their Top 100
Songs of the 2000s decade. The song charted at 413 in
Blendermagazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were
Born.
Keys described the song as being a strong representative of
who she was as an artist. She explained that the song was about
the "ins and outs" of being in a relationship. She went on to
say, "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."
Although it is regarded as Keys' signature song, it almost
did not become her single. Before she joined J Records, Keys
had signed a recording contract with Sony's Columbia Records.
Sony felt that Keys should sing more mainstream-accessible
material written by others, while she insisted upon recording
her own compositions. As a result, Keys' recording career
remained in limbo for two years. Bored and with free time on
her hands because of Sony's lack of interest in her, Keys
decided to put her time to good use and began to write a song.
Instantly, arpeggios hit her, and she became inspired with the
chords that would define "Fallin'". She quickly composed lyrics
basing the tune on the emotions she faced during one of her
first serious romantic relationships.
As Keys was still in artistic limbo, the song was originally
not meant for her; Sony intended to have Kim Scott, a child
prodigy signed to their label, record "Fallin'". Keys became
uneasy over the matter, as she wanted to record the song
herself, but could not because Sony was not focusing on her
career. At first Keys had surrendered the piece to Scott
willingly, but later changed her mind, and Scott did not record
it. Clive Davis, a former Columbia executive then at Arista
Records, heard about Keys and was impressed with her artistry.
After Davis started a label of his own, J Records, he bought
out Keys' Sony contract and signed her to his label.
Once at J Records, Keys began working on her debut album,
Songs in A Minor. Unlike Sony, J Records did not mind
Keys recording her own compositions, and encouraged her to do
so. When it was time for a first single to be chosen,
"Girlfriend", a song Keys had worked on with Jermaine Dupri
while at Columbia, was considered, but Keys and other
executives agreed that "Fallin'" would be the best choice.
"Fallin'" is a gospel-influenced song. It begins with piano
and basic drum programming, then proportionally builds up to a
crescendo. The record also features a violin performance of the
pizzicato and legato strings by Miri Ben-Ari. Keys'
collaborator Kerry "Krucial" Brothers provides the song's
digital programming. The song samples 1966's "It's a Man's
Man's Man's World" by James Brown. The song is written in the
key of E minor.
The song was one of the most critically acclaimed songs of
the year. Barry Walters of
Rolling Stonecompared Keys performance in the song to an
Aretha Franklin vibe. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
complimented Keys' voice, saying it was a "restrained vocal
that never permeates the track's tight arrangement". Christian
Ward of
NMEalluded to the song being emotional, saying it will
make the listener "weep 'til you're a dribbling, snotty wreck".
Simon Price of
The Independentcalled the song Keys' breakthrough song.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic 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".
The song was listed at number four hundred and thirteen on
Blendermagazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs Since
You Were Born and at number four in
The Village Voice
's 2001 Pazz & Jop
critics' poll. "Fallin'" was banned from many
Australian Idolauditions due to its popularity.
"Fallin'" was released in April 2001 as Keys' debut single,
amidst considerable promotion and praise from Davis and J
Records. "Fallin'" peaked at number one on the U.S. Hot 100 and
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts and remained there for six and
four weeks, respectively. It also reached the top position in
the Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand as well as the top
five in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Norway, and Ireland and the top ten in Sweden and
Australia. A remix of the song, featuring Busta Rhymes and
Rampage from the Flipmode Squad (also at that time signed to J
Records), included on the British edition of her album,
reimagines the song as a hip hop-flavored dance song. Since its
release, "Fallin'" has become a popular standard for
contestants in the reality television series
American Idol.
As one of the most critically acclaimed singles of 2001,
"Fallin'" was nominated for several awards. "Fallin'" connected
well with NARAS as the song was nominated in 2002 for four
Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best
Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. It
ended up winning Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal
Performance, and Best R&B Song (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". 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.
The music video for "Fallin'", directed by Chris Robinson.
Unlike most other contemporary R&B videos, the video for
"Fallin'" was a low-key clip with no dancing. The video opens
with a radio playing "Girlfriend", where Keys is sitting at a
piano. The plot has Keys traveling to a prison 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
she was supposed to be the one incarcerated, and her boyfriend
was visiting her.