Music Review: Selena Gomez "Falling Down"

Selena Gomez

Falling Down

Album: Kiss & Tell

Year: 2009

              Selena Gomez waits for the schandenfraude to happen to a narcisstic guy she knows in the bold “Falling Down.”

             In the opening. Gomez “oh’s oh” with an observant guitar, setting a speculative tone.

                Her friend grins and mouths “oh my God” once he enters the room. She whispers that she heard he would be coming. She shrugs and takes a sip from her cup. He carries himself  with a cocky air, letting everyone know they are in the presence of a star. He works the room, acting as the main attraction for everyone. He interrupts conversations to insert his opinion and namedrop. When he reaches their group, her friend tried to fix her posture and nearly knocked his drink over. He made a comment for her to be careful, not everything can be bought at a department store. He turned his attention to her and said he’s had lots of girls but none like her. He wedges himself between her and her friend. Into her ear, he tells her these parties are shallow yet necessary. He adds he doesn’t feel he doesn’t fit in here, really.  She knows what he’s doing. She’s not the groupie type that usually surround him. He’s going to with “we’re both outsiders” angle. (“You walk and talk/Like you're some new sensation/You move in circles/You don't need an invitation/You spend your money/You can get no satisfaction/You play it right so you can get the right reaction.”)

          In the pre-chorus, she’s heard the talk before he came. His so-called friends were trying to figure out how he found out the party. Two people went around questioning others who else they told. He walks away from her, promising to return later and he wanders by himself, greeting people here and there. (“It won't be long my darling/Pick up the phone/Nobody's on it/Where are your friends now baby/Aren’t they the ones supposed to be there for.”)

           In the chorus, she notices how alone really is. However, his self-centeredness turns off a lot of people (including herself.) He scans the room and smiles when he sees her. It’s the most genuine thing she’s seen him do. Things are going to get terrible for him soon. He’s going to need a friend. (You (you)/When you're falling down/The world starts spinning out/You (you)/When you're falling down/Now it's not all about/You (you)/When you're falling down/You know I'll be around/When you're falling down, falling down/You're falling down, you're falling down/You're falling down.”)

                 In a hushed voice, she says “you’re falling down, you’re falling down, you’re falling down.”)

           After the party, she said she would like to hang out with him. That weekend, he picked her up in a sports car and had a dozen of red roses for her. She told him they were lovely. However, she told him he has to be himself and not some real life version of a fictional male character from a CW drama. She tells him that she knows his storyline already: rich, egotistical meets a sassy out-of-towner and is mellowed out by love. She points blank tells him he needs to find out who he is. (“What's out of place when you look into the mirror?/The truth is blurry but the lies are getting clearer/Your eyes are fixed, your smile is so elastic/You gave me roses but they're all just made of plastic.”)

          The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

           In the bridge, they are out in public together. She tells him it’s time for to be himself. She adds that they see this new version of him and are gossiping about it already. She tells to prepare for the backlash. (“Smile for the camera, everybody's looking at ya!/Smile for the camera, 'cause they're all about to trash ya/Smile for the camera, camera (camera), smile for the camera/Who's gonna catch ya?/You (you.”)

               The chorus is sung again.

               An edited bridge ends the single. (“Smile for the camera, everybody's looking at ya!/Smile for the camera, 'cause they're all about to trash ya.”)

             Gomez’s spunky vocals are not the least intimidated by him. There’s no point. He’s just a person like her. Seeing him wander around the party by himself, she realized he has no one. The inevitable schadenfraude she was looking forward to was no longer entertaining. It made her want to get to know him and help him out.

                 The independent “Falling Down,” thanks to co-writer and Go-Go Gina Schock, is lesson one for Gomez on kicking some ass.

        For 80s fans, listen to Gomez’s “Kiss & Tell” (also co-written by Schock). It’s like hearing the Go-Go’s again but with a poppier edge. I would love to hear the band do their own cover of the song.