"Down to Earth" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, included as a track on his debut release, My World, released on November 17, 2009. It was written by Bieber, who was assisted by Carlos and Steven Battey of The Jackie Boyz, as well as the song's producers, Mason "MdL" Levy, and Kevin Risto and Waynne Nugent of Midi Mafia. "Down to Earth" is a teen pop song, with lyrics that were inspired by the divorce of Bieber's parents. It also contains lyrical content about growing up. The song received positive reviews from critics, who embraced the song as a shift in the puppy love content of the album. After the release of My World, due to digital sales, the song charted in the lower regions of charts in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Background and composition
"Down to Earth" was written by Bieber, Mason "MdL" Levy, Carlos and Steven Battey of The Jackie Boyz, and Kevin Risto and Waynne Nugent of Midi Mafia. It was recorded at Icon Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and it was mixed at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. The track was one of three songs on the standard edition of My World that Bieber co-wrote. In an interview in the November 14, 2009 issue of Billboard, Bieber explained the meaning behind the song stating,
"It's a ballad about the feelings I had when my parents split up and how I helped my family get through it. I think a lot of kids have had their parents split up, and they should know that it wasn't because of something they did. I hope people can relate to it."
"Down to Earth" is a down-tempo pop song with a length of four minutes and five seconds, which includes influences of teen pop. Written in common time, with a tempo of 80 beats per minute, the song is composed in the key of D major. Bieber's vocals span from the low note of B3 to the high note of D5. It follows a simple chord progression of G-D-A-Bm. Monica Herrera of Billboard noted that lines such as "So we fight through the hurt, and we cry and cry and cry and cry/ Then we live and we learn, and we try" revealed a "deeper side" to the singer. Bieber performed the song while accompanying Taylor Swift on the United Kingdom leg of the Fearless Tour, as well as his own My World Tour. During the latter performance, Bieber sits on a stool, accompanied by only a piano background.
Reception
Critical reception
Mark Hirsh of The Boston Globe noted "Down to Earth" was the essential track from My World. Allison Stewart of the Washington Post listed the song was one of her recommended tracks from the album. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said that "Down to Earth" and "One Less Lonely Girl" were "uncomplicately beautiful and earnest." Although Ashante Infantry of Toronto Star said a turn-off of the song was the "Mafia" tag by the production team, Midi Mafia, at the beginning of the song, she called "Down to Earth" one of the best tracks on the album. After praising Bieber's delivery of "poignant lines" in the song, Monica Herrera of Billboard said "it's hardly a stretch to imagine Bieber racking up more hits in the next decade to come."
Chart performance
On the week ending December 5, 2009, due to digital sales after the release of My World, "Down to Earth" debuted on the US BillboardHot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100. The song debuted at number forty-three on the Hot Digital Songs chart in the US, and therefore consecutively appeared at number seventy-nine on the Hot 100. In Canada, it debuted at number sixty-one. It dropped off both charts the following week. In both territories it was also the highest non-previously released song from My World to appear on the charts. In the United Kingdom, after the release of My World, "Down to Earth" appeared at number 149 on the UK Singles Chart.
