The song was premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 13 January 2014[2] and was released on 2 March 2014,[3] as the second single from Allen's third studio album, Sheezus (2014).

Allen wrote the song in collaboration with Shellback, who has also worked for Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift and One Direction.

Allen and Amy Winehouse were credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that has seen five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize.

The following year, she opened a fashion rental shop named Lucy in Disguise with her sister Sarah,[5] followed by the 2011 launching of her own record label.

[11][12] In 2018, Allen described "Air Balloon" as her least favourite song, and agreed with a fan who suggested that it "stunk of label pressure as a lead single".

The video was directed by That Go (Noel Paul and Stefan Moore) and shot in Cape Town, South Africa, and Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

Allen is later shown floating in space with a giant crucifix, filmed as to make a reference to the name of her album, "Sheezus".