The song was written by Mensa alongside Om'Mas Keith, Cam O'bi, Peter Cottontale, and Stephen Ponce.

Their writer Insanul Ahmed said, "Bolstered by its Groundhog's Day-style music video, the song might feel like a blatant attempt by a rappity rapper to make a dance song to get on the charts.

But when you consider Vic's Chicago roots, the house beat makes a lot more sense.

"[3] Renato Pagnani of Pitchfork stated, "it's the restlessness of last year's Innanetape that helps contextualize "Down on My Luck" as a natural extension of Mensa's omnivorous musical appetite rather than a hard—and cynical—left turn.

It also doesn't hurt that the track nails the propulsive throb of deep house and comes equipped with an earworm of a hook that suggests Mensa might have a career in him as a dance vocalist if this rapping thing doesn't pan out.