It was released on September 27, 2011 by Atlantic Records as the lead single from the movie's soundtrack The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

It was partially written during the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour in the United States and finished after the singer watched an early version of the movie which inspired him.

The soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was a much expected release and Mars's song was chosen as the lead single by the album's executive producer, Alexandra Patsavas, to promote it.

The music video, directed by Phil Pinto and Mars, prominently features the singer going through different emotions such as love and anger with his lover as they struggle through a break-up.

[1] He admitted to have the tune halfway done before visualizing an early cut of the film and, inspired by its characters, put together the finishing touches.

[2] At the time of the Billboard interview, on September 23, 2011, Mars was unaware of the placement of his song in the movie, he hopefully said "As long as it's not after the credits.

"[3] "It Will Rain" is the third song featured in the end credits of, the franchise's fourth movie, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

[5] "It Will Rain" was first made available worldwide, excepted in the United Kingdom, as an iTunes exclusive via digital download on September 27, 2011 by Atlantic Records.

[13] The song's main structure is backed by piano, percussion that resembles an 80's drum track, backup vocals, a "digital echo" on Mars's voice and "sweeping strings".

[12][17][20] Simon Vozick-Levinson of the Rolling Stone and Tris McCall from Nj.com dubbed "It Will Rain" as Mars's next radio hit.

Billboard compared the song's piano riff to the ones used by the artist himself, while the percussion and chord progression was reminiscent of "OneRepublic's oeuvre more than Mars' sunny hits".

The review concluded with positive feedback for the singer's "pitch-perfect vocals and his knack for warbling about women troubles, the man once again delivers.

"[13] In a mixed review, HitFix's Melinda Newman felt the recording "has the dated feel of a song from the '80s, perhaps because of the drum track."

"[20] On the other hand, Tris McCall from NJ.com criticized the track for its "radio-friendliness", which is evident "from the digital echo on his voice to the sudden beat drop at the beginning of the second verse".

Nevertheless, McCall admitted that "It Will Rain" was "another monster hit", and it had "genuine grit and emotional heft", notwithstanding, hard to find since it was "bathe[d]... in strings and marinate[d]... in backing vocals".

[15] Dallas Observer's Shahryar Rivzi gave a harsh critique of the recording saying that it was an "accessible way to present unrealistic ideas about romance".

is a "relatively "safe" reference to drugs" and Mars "meant to ease the pain of losing the subject instead of making the user "realize"."

Rivzi continued its criticism to the lyrics, "I'll pick up these broken pieces till I'm bleeding", resembles the "masochism" in "Grenade".

[40][41] Across Europe, "It Will Rain" reached the top fifteen of the charts in Denmark,[34] Finland,[34] Germany,[34] Ireland,[42] Luxembourg,[43] and Scotland.

[52][53] Filming for the video took place in London, England, United Kingdom[53] and features Mozambican and Portuguese model Vanessa Martins.

[54] In the video Mars reminisces about the moments spent between him and his "brunette vixen" girlfriend in an "sparsely" decorated apartment.

[55][56] Throughout the video, the singer expresses his emptiness and devastation recurring to solo shots in which he stands "around looking sullen" and by using "faded lighting" in order to convey such sentiments.

[56][55][57] After the opening sequence, Mars holds a private screening of "Breaking Dawn" to please her, the couple kiss in front of a cinema projector lights, while romantic scenes from the Breaking Dawn: Part 1, including the honeymoon and the one where Edward, played by Robert Pattinson, sweeps Bella, portrayed by Kristen Stewart, "off her feet and into their new home", are projected on the wall.

[57] Nevertheless, MTV's, Jocelyn Vena stated "we see that the song Bruno wrote while his lady was asleep turned out to be romantic enough to win her back.

Goodman described the music video as a "soap opera tale of a young couple struggling through a breakup, and revisiting all their good times in the process.

"[56] David Greenwald of Billboard criticized the video for looking "more like a denim brand's lookbook than a peek at the vampire franchise's fourth film.

[61][62] The singer, who was wearing a fedora hat, raised his arms to the audience as the song started and a digital screen projecting a giant broken heart-shaped neon light as background appeared during the show.

[68][69] The single was part of some shows during the 24K Magic World Tour (2017–18) interpolated with "Nothin' on You" (2009), a song included on B.o.B's debut studio album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010) featuring Mars.

[70] American singer and songwriter Pia Mia, posted a video of herself singing the track on YouTube, before being signed in a label.