"Fall Down" marks the first of three collaborations between will.i.am and Cyrus in 2013. In October, he was credited as a songwriter and producer on the track "Do My Thang" from her fourth studio album
Bangerz, while Cyrus was featured on his track "
Feelin' Myself" from the
reissue of his fourth studio album
#willpower in November. will.i.am first became interested in collaborating with Cyrus after hearing an earlier version of her single "
Wrecking Ball", and came in contact with her through producer
Mike Will Made It. "Fall Down" was first released on April 16, 2013, preceding the release of
#willpower in the United States. It served as the follow-up to will.i.am's earlier singles "
Scream & Shout" with
Britney Spears and "
#thatPower" with
Justin Bieber, and served as a promotional single from the record. will.i.am and Cyrus promoted the song with live performances on
Jimmy Kimmel Live! and
Good Morning America in June. It was released to Australian radio stations in July 2013 as the third single from the record; an Italian release followed on September 6. In contrast from the
electronic dance music elements presented in "Scream & Shout" and "#thatPower", "Fall Down" leans towards an
urban contemporary musical style. The chorus incorporates
electropop elements, while the verses tend towards a
hip hop format, while the track itself culminates with an orchestral bridge. will.i.am mentioned the bridge as his favorite piece of
#willpower, and described the overall song as sounding like "
Quincy Jones just sneezed on it." Lyrically, the track describes the positive impact a couple has on each other, as seen in the lines "Girl, you're like an elevator cause you always pick me up / Girl, you're like a doctor when I'm sick you always stitch me up". ==Critical reception==