The song was written by Nicholas Petricca, Eli Maiman, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman and Chris Robinson, with Ben Allen handling the production.

(2010), Guitarist Eli Maiman said that it "com[es] from a different place entirely" and that the band drew from "new influences and new experiences", resulting in "a more mature vibe [and] element to it".

[2] He also mentioned that the song was evident of how he and lead singer Nicholas Petricca had "found a cool way of interacting between synthesizers and guitars".

[3] "Tightrope" is an upbeat pop rock song that, along with the rest of Walk the Moon, incorporates bright and vibrant production.

[12] In his review of the Anna Sun EP, Paul De Revere of Consequence of Sound felt that "Tightrope" did not match the elated catchiness of its title track but that it did rival it.

[14] Conversely, Dani Beck and Derek Robertson of DIY criticized the song for being "undefinable, inconsistent wannabe alt-pop".

[16] It eventually peaked at number 15 in the issue dated February 1, 2013, becoming Walk the Moon's second top twenty chart hit after "Anna Sun".