Review by Giovanna Citro
Ben Haenow has released his new single “Falling Down” and brings a narrative of finding the light at the end of the tunnel during a time full of hopelessness.
The song begins with the guitar that quickly leads the listener in. The upbeat instrumentals keep the listener engaged and force them to feel the lyrics. His incredible vocals give a sense of passion and sincerity. Despite the deeper lyrics, the instrumentals shine with positivity.
The lyrics are the highlight of the song, as Ben takes the listener on a journey of reflection by using the weather to symbolically convey is feelings. “When everything is falling down around me like rain you’re my shelter” is one example. The “rain” is symbolizing the hardships in his life pouring down on him. One verse reads, “I guess the sun can’t shine all the time” which is telling the listener that he is feeling as though everything around him is falling apart. However, the line “you’re my shelter” is giving the listener a sense of comfort in knowing he has someone to lean on during these dark times. When he says “You keep me strong/you’re there when I need a friend” he’s trying to tell us that everyone has that person who they lean on during difficult times. Someone who won’t judge you even at your lowest moments.
Ben, speaking about the inspiration of this song, said: “The song is loosely about my experience of The X Factor and the rise and fall of life after the show. It’s about that feeling of everything falling apart in your hands. I guess it was kind of a song about losing faith and not really knowing who you are or what your next move should be.”
The outro consists of the lyrics: “when everything is falling down around me like rain” which takes the listener out of the song in a way that they want to keep listening to his story.
Overall, “Falling Down” has remarkable vocals and will capture the attention of any listener by taking them on an emotional journey.