: Ferreira utilizes her "contralto" range to deliver breathy, emotive verses that contrast with a "monster chorus".
The song’s most famous moment came during its live debut at the .
The track is characterized by a "dark and dreamy spirit" that bridges the gap between her neon-tinged 2013 debut Night Time, My Time and her more experimental, "shoegaze-tinged" recent output.
For many listeners, the "Descending" demo represents Ferreira's "uncompromising artist" persona—someone who would rather leave a song unreleased than settle for a mix that doesn't meet her "perfectionist" standards. Watch Sky Ferreira debut new song 'Descending' - NME
: Much like her other Masochism -era snippets, "Descending" is "thickly glazed with fuzz and synths". Reviewers often compare this era of her work to "goth chamber-pop" or "'90s-era alternative".