Falling (Harry Styles song)
"Falling" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles. This ballad was released through Erskine and Columbia Records on 7 March 2020 as the third single from his second studio album, Fine Line (2019).[1] The song was written by Styles and Kid Harpoon, the latter of whom also handled the song's production.
Composition[edit]
Written by Styles and its producer Kid Harpoon, "Falling" is a "hushed" soul piano ballad,[9][2] that runs for four minutes long. In an interview Styles commented that the song was lyrically about slipping back into old ways, becoming a person he didn't want to be again and trying to be a better person.[9] In an interview with Radio.com, Styles states that "Falling" is, "That feeling of kind of being overwhelmed, you know you can feel like you’re drowning sometimes… and the fact that it's coming from the piano, I guess it's like writing these songs are what helps but also they can hurt you sometimes."[10] According to Laura Snapes from The Guardian, "the line, 'no one to blame but the drink in my wandering hands', from Falling, has prompted tabloid headlines."[11] In another line, he sings: "I'm well aware I write too many songs about you."[12] In fact, the song was said to be written about his breakup with ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe.[13][14][12] Hannah Mylrea from NME also noted that "he alludes to the fact he cheated on his ex, admitting that 'there's no one to blame but the drink in my wandering hands."[15]
Chart performance[edit]
"Falling" debuted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart and later peaked at number 15, making it the fourth song from Fine Line to chart in the UK top 20.[22][23] In November 2020, it received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 600,000 units in the UK, to be followed by double platinum in 2022.[24] In the US, "Falling" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 1 million track-equivalent units.[25]
Live performances[edit]
On 18 February 2020, Styles performed the song for the first time at the 2020 Brit Awards.[29][30]