Written and produced by the band, the song was recorded in a studio previously occupied by Swedish pop group ABBA, which influenced its sound.

The single's accompanying music video was directed by Andreas Nilsson, who created the concept after discussing genetic engineering and surveillance with the band.

The visual tells the story of a man who is abducted and transformed into a "Perfect Human" by a group of childlike aliens dressed in Victorian fashion.

Miike Snow has performed live renditions of "Paddling Out" on several occasions, including Late Show with David Letterman and a session for BBC Radio 1.

"Paddling Out" was written by Miike Snow's three members, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt, for the band's second studio album, Happy to You (2012).

[4] While working on their debut album, Miike Snow (2009), the band focused on creating structured pop songs and completed most of the process themselves, apart from mixing.

"[2] One of the collaborators invited to the sessions was Swedish drummer Thomas Hedlund, a touring member of Phoenix, who was enlisted to play the drums on "Paddling Out".

[14] Similarly, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy felt the piece "fus[es] Italo-house piano with pacey beats and chants".

[6] Some critics noted "Paddling Out"'s melancholic lyrics,[8][16] and Ailbhe Malone of NME observed that it includes a "big beat bounce" and "sing-along melancholy".

[16][18] Sputnikmusic's staff writer Rudy K. commented that the contrast between the song's "infectious tone" and melancholic lyrics is similar to that of Miike Snow's debut single "Animal" (2009).

[7][20] Although initially reported to become available for download on 11 March 2012,[22] the song was released to digital retailers on 23 January 2012 through Columbia as the official lead single for Happy to You.

[30] MTV's Sam Lansky described Gartner's uptempo take as "aggressive", and noted the addition of handclaps and "grimy" synthesizers, which the writer believed fit well with Wyatt's vocals.

A writer for Pigeons & Planes opined that the song sees the band in their "most comfortable spot of creative, catchy pop music that's instantly likable and only more gratifying with each listen".

[10][38] The New Zealand Herald's Chris Schulz said that "Paddling Out", along with two other Happy to You tracks, "will swirl around in your head for days and demand repeat plays".

[14] Andy Baber, writing for musicOMH, felt the single showcased the band at "their electropop best", arguing its synthesizer instrumentation would make it "certain to be a dance-floor favourite".

[11] Similarly, Las Vegas Sun writer Annie Zaleski viewed the song as "kicky disco" and felt it was made for the dance floor, hailing it as one of the best tracks on Happy to You.

[13] Jonathan Donaldson of The Phoenix called the song an "upbeat dance number" and complimented the beat production, which he felt "most pop bands could get behind".

[53] In an interview for Creators, Nilsson revealed the concept was created after long discussions with the band about genetic engineering in contemporary science as they share a mutual interest in the medical scene.

[55] Wyatt stated that the final product was mostly Nilsson's idea, noting that surveillance by companies such as Google and genetic engineering were key inspirations for the clip.

He is transformed into a "Perfect Human" called Jean Noel, which includes a big nose, strong chin, erect nipples, "massive cock", shirtless upper body and leather pants.

[57] Miike Snow performed a live rendition of "Paddling Out" and a cover version of Phil Collins' "Two Hearts" (1988) at Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 1 on 14 March 2012.

During rehearsals, the band "rediscovered" its older work and felt it connected more naturally with the new material on iii; Winnberg commented that it was "a little more fun" to play songs from the debut album than Happy to You.