"If I Never See Your Face Again" was originally intended to be a duet with Janet Jackson and appear on her Discipline album, although label problems interfered.

[5] The collaboration with Rihanna later came to fruition when Levine asked her to add her vocal to the remix version, which she accepted.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and shot on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California.

[5] The song was included on the standard version of Maroon 5's 2007 album It Won't Be Soon Before Long without the inclusion of Rihanna, however, Levine stated in an interview with James Montgomery for MTV News whilst on set of the accompanying music video that he wanted to try something different for the album's re-release.

[8] The song was composed using common time in the key of G-sharp minor, with a moderate groove of 106 beats per minute.

[14] A reviewer for IGN noted that "If I Never See Your Face Again" is complete with "slinky synth insinuations,"[13] whilst Jerome Blakeney for BBC wrote that it is a "guitar drenched" and "synth-crunching" song.

[15] For the most part of the song, Levine sings in his falsetto register,[13][15] whilst Rihanna adopts "silky tone".

[15] Upon the release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, music critics commented on the original version of the song, which does not include guest vocals by Rihanna.

Jerome Blakeney for BBC wrote that "If I Never See Your Face Again", along with another It Won't Be Soon Before Long track "Makes Me Wonder", were "monster weapons of mass-marketing aimed at the feet and riding on swathes of string-drenched, synth-crunching disco.

[15] Fletcher was critical of their vocal performance, writing that their voices clashed with one another and that "the sexual chemistry radar for the pairing registers at zero.

[28] The song's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler,[29] and shot on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California on April 23, 2008.

[30] The video begins with the sound of a ticking clock and Levine and Rihanna sitting opposite each other at a table, tapping their hands and staring at one another.

Rihanna lies suggestively on a bed while Levine sits on a chair with his head turned in the opposite direction for the bridge.

Another music video for the song's original version titled "Japan Tour 2008", was released on July 11, 2008 by Amnesty International.

[31] The video which is mainly an animated slideshow with photographs of Maroon 5 heading to Japan, during the It Won't Be Soon Before Long Tour in March 2008.