Fallin' - Background and Composition

Background and Composition

The song was written by Alicia Keys as the lead single from her debut studio album, Songs in A Minor. When asked about the background behind the song, Keys told Billboard, "I wanted to write a song for someone who was 10 or 12 years old -- like a young Michael Jackson. Even though he was young, he was singing some deep stuff back then. is 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."

"Fallin'" is described as a R&B-soul song with gospel influences. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song 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 B₃ to the high-note of E₅. The song has a basic chord progression of Em–Bm₇–Em–Bm₇ as it follows a "moderate blues tempo" throughout the chorus of the song.