Sex on Fire
Encyclopedia
"Sex on Fire" is the first single to be taken from Kings of Leon
's fourth studio album
Only by the Night
and as of September 2009, the second most-downloaded digital single ever in the United Kingdom. The song gave Kings of Leon their first number-one single in Australia
, Finland
, Ireland
and United Kingdom
, charting at the top-spot in the UK Singles Chart
on digital downloads alone, before its physical release. It has also gained significant popularity in the United States, reaching #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and #56 on the Billboard Hot 100
, making it their second highest charting song in their homeland on the former chart. Along with all of these achievements, in 2008, the song earned the band their first Grammy
nominations. The song was nominated for Best Rock Song, and won the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In addition, the album earned a nomination for Best Rock Album. Channel V Australia
named the song as the 3rd biggest hit of 2008. It was voted #1 in Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 2008
. By September 6, 2009, the single had sold 747,713 copies. Following the success of the follow-up single "Use Somebody
" in the United States on pop radio
, the track was re-serviced to U.S. pop radio in November. Remixes of both songs were used for the runway soundtrack in the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
, Nathan Followil explained that the band never intended the song to be named "Sex on Fire".
Nathan also said that some lyrics tried were "Socks on Fire", "Snatch on Fire" and "Cocks on Fire".
The song is played in the key of E Major at a tempo of 153bpm. The vocal range is B3-G#4.
rated the song four stars out of five, describing it as "A truly stirring single that will be a definite highlight on their winter arena tour." The Sun
also praised the song, saying it is "another of the latest album’s genuinely great and grand numbers." Planet Sound
also rated the song 9/10. However, Caleb Followill originally thought the song was "terrible"; according to Spin Magazine it was almost ditched during recording. Despite giving the album a 4 out of 5, Spin thought the song was 'silly'.
Music reviews blog Urbanite Youth described the song as "a rather generic rock single" but did praise Caleb Followill for his vocal talents. This song was number 40 on Rolling Stone
s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.. This song is used for the trailer of the 2009 movie "Stay Cool
".
. As of April 2011, the video has over 33 million views on YouTube
. At the end of the video, Caleb opens his mouth and smoke starts coming out of his mouth. In the video, the band is seen playing in the next room at an abandoned factory.
, only dropping out due to the surge in sales of Michael Jackson
titles immediately after his death, but after a two-week absence it was back for another 37 weeks, peaking at #6. It has reappeared on further occasions since, and has now clocked up 87 weeks on the official Top 75, making it the 3rd longest runner of all time and the longest for a #1 single, and 118 weeks in the Top 100. 48 of its weeks have been spent in the top 40, and as of July 2010, the song has now sold over 1,080,500 copies. In the U.S. it is the band's second best selling single ever, having sold over 2 million copies by late 2010.
"Sex on Fire" debuted at No. 97 in Germany and began to rise and fall in the next several weeks.
In its 32nd week on the German Singles Chart, the song finally reached its peak of No. 33.
As of February 2011, the song was on that chart for 60 weeks, a huge effort for a single that didn't reach the top ten nor top twenty.
Due to the long stay on the German Singles Chart, the single got certificated with Gold for more than 150,000 copies sold in February 2011.
|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|18
|-
Following the end of a decade, it was almost certain that "Sex on Fire" would get a good place on "The Official Top 100 Songs of the Decade". As such, on December 31, 2009, Radio 1 Presenter, Nihal, revealed that "Sex On Fire" made #14 on the chart.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!End of Decade Chart (2000–2009)
!Peak position
|-
|Australian Singles Chart
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|14
|}
Hamish and Andy performed three different versions of the song advertising different businesses like Jim's Mowing
and Beaurepairs.
!Region
!Date
|-
|Europe
|align="left"|
|-
|United States
|align="left"|
|-
|United Kingdom
|align="left"|
|-
|United States
(pop radio)
|align="left"|
|}
and is set for worldwide release by Sony Music in November 2010. The video was filmed in Brussels
, Belgium
in October 2010 and has attracted attention for its sexually explicit scenes. Cousins
has described the video as the 'raciest' of her career. In 2010, the song was performed by Westlife
on their Where We Are Tour
. "Sex on Fire" was also covered by 2010 X Factor Australia winner Altiyan Childs
for his self-titled debut album
.
Sugarland recorded a live version for their album Live on the Inside
.
English post-hardcore band Fightstar
covered the song during a recorded acoustic set for The Sun
American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles
performed this song at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival
as part of her 90-minute set on the last day of the festival on June 26, 2011.
The Mexican Sabrosindie/Cumbiatronic duo Los Master Plus have released a Spanish version of the song entitled "Sexo en fuego."
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
's fourth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Only by the Night
Only by the Night
-Critics:The album was met with mixed reviews. Metacritic's average rating settled on a 63/100, counting a drastic range of ratings between North America and UK press. The U.S. online publications Pitchfork Media, PopMatters and JustPressPlay gave the album a 3.8/10, 2/10 and 4/10 respectively,...
and as of September 2009, the second most-downloaded digital single ever in the United Kingdom. The song gave Kings of Leon their first number-one single in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, charting at the top-spot in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on digital downloads alone, before its physical release. It has also gained significant popularity in the United States, reaching #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and #56 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making it their second highest charting song in their homeland on the former chart. Along with all of these achievements, in 2008, the song earned the band their first Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations. The song was nominated for Best Rock Song, and won the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In addition, the album earned a nomination for Best Rock Album. Channel V Australia
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
named the song as the 3rd biggest hit of 2008. It was voted #1 in Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 2008
Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J....
. By September 6, 2009, the single had sold 747,713 copies. Following the success of the follow-up single "Use Somebody
Use Somebody
"Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night , released on December 8, 2008....
" in the United States on pop radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, the track was re-serviced to U.S. pop radio in November. Remixes of both songs were used for the runway soundtrack in the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Composition
In an interview with Robbie, Marieke and the Doctor on Australian radio station Triple JTriple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, Nathan Followil explained that the band never intended the song to be named "Sex on Fire".
"They were totally different lyrics. Depending on whether a song starts with a melody or starts with lyrics, you know if it starts with a melody you just keep playing the melody over and over until you get it down and just throw in any lyrics that fit the verbal flow. It was actually going to be "Set Us on Fire", but one of the sound mixers in the studio walked in as we were playing and said, "Sex on Fire", huh?" And it just kind of became a running joke, and we stuck with it.".
Nathan also said that some lyrics tried were "Socks on Fire", "Snatch on Fire" and "Cocks on Fire".
The song is played in the key of E Major at a tempo of 153bpm. The vocal range is B3-G#4.
Critical reception
The song has received generally positive reviews. Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
rated the song four stars out of five, describing it as "A truly stirring single that will be a definite highlight on their winter arena tour." The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
also praised the song, saying it is "another of the latest album’s genuinely great and grand numbers." Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
also rated the song 9/10. However, Caleb Followill originally thought the song was "terrible"; according to Spin Magazine it was almost ditched during recording. Despite giving the album a 4 out of 5, Spin thought the song was 'silly'.
Music reviews blog Urbanite Youth described the song as "a rather generic rock single" but did praise Caleb Followill for his vocal talents. This song was number 40 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.. This song is used for the trailer of the 2009 movie "Stay Cool
Stay Cool
Stay Cool is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Ted Smith, and written by Mark and Michael Polish. The film stars Winona Ryder, Mark Polish, Hilary Duff, Sean Astin, Josh Holloway, Jon Cryer, and Chevy Chase.- Plot :...
".
Music video
The director of the music video for "Sex on Fire" was Sophie MullerSophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
. As of April 2011, the video has over 33 million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. At the end of the video, Caleb opens his mouth and smoke starts coming out of his mouth. In the video, the band is seen playing in the next room at an abandoned factory.
Chart performance
"Sex on Fire" spent an unbroken 42 weeks on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, only dropping out due to the surge in sales of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
titles immediately after his death, but after a two-week absence it was back for another 37 weeks, peaking at #6. It has reappeared on further occasions since, and has now clocked up 87 weeks on the official Top 75, making it the 3rd longest runner of all time and the longest for a #1 single, and 118 weeks in the Top 100. 48 of its weeks have been spent in the top 40, and as of July 2010, the song has now sold over 1,080,500 copies. In the U.S. it is the band's second best selling single ever, having sold over 2 million copies by late 2010.
"Sex on Fire" debuted at No. 97 in Germany and began to rise and fall in the next several weeks.
In its 32nd week on the German Singles Chart, the song finally reached its peak of No. 33.
As of February 2011, the song was on that chart for 60 weeks, a huge effort for a single that didn't reach the top ten nor top twenty.
Due to the long stay on the German Singles Chart, the single got certificated with Gold for more than 150,000 copies sold in February 2011.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 5 |
End-of-year charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
| style="text-align:center;"|18
|-
Following the end of a decade, it was almost certain that "Sex on Fire" would get a good place on "The Official Top 100 Songs of the Decade". As such, on December 31, 2009, Radio 1 Presenter, Nihal, revealed that "Sex On Fire" made #14 on the chart.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!End of Decade Chart (2000–2009)
!Peak position
|-
|Australian Singles Chart
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|align="center"|14
|}
Hamish and Andy performed three different versions of the song advertising different businesses like Jim's Mowing
Jim's Mowing
Founded in 1982 by Jim Penman, Jim's Mowing has expanded to become Jim's Group, the largest franchise in Australia with 3000 franchises, as well as becoming the world's largest home franchise business ....
and Beaurepairs.
Certifications
Release history
{|class="wikitable"!Region
!Date
|-
|Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
|align="left"|
|-
|United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|align="left"|
|-
|United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
|align="left"|
|-
|United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(pop radio)
|align="left"|
|}
Cover versions
A high energy dance cover of the song was recorded by chart topping UK dance star Tina CousinsTina Cousins
Tina Cousins is an English singer-songwriter and former fashion model. She has had five singles in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. She has also achieved popularity in Australia. She started her career as a model...
and is set for worldwide release by Sony Music in November 2010. The video was filmed in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in October 2010 and has attracted attention for its sexually explicit scenes. Cousins
Tina Cousins
Tina Cousins is an English singer-songwriter and former fashion model. She has had five singles in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. She has also achieved popularity in Australia. She started her career as a model...
has described the video as the 'raciest' of her career. In 2010, the song was performed by Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
on their Where We Are Tour
Where We Are Tour
The Where We Are Tour is a tour by Irish pop band, Westlife in support of their tenth studio album, Where We Are. The band will be touring the United Kingdom and Ireland. Further updates will be announced on a later date for other venues that they will be touring...
. "Sex on Fire" was also covered by 2010 X Factor Australia winner Altiyan Childs
Altiyan Childs
Altiyan Juric , best known by his stage name Altiyan Childs, is an Australian singer-songwriter. He was the winner of the second season of The X Factor Australia in 2010. After X Factor ended, Childs subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia...
for his self-titled debut album
Altiyan Childs (album)
-Release history:...
.
Sugarland recorded a live version for their album Live on the Inside
Live on the Inside
Live on the Inside is a live DVD/CD set from country music duo Sugarland. It is their first live CD/DVD set and their fourth album overall. It was released on August 4, 2009, exclusively at Wal-Mart stores, and debuted at number one on both the U.S...
.
English post-hardcore band Fightstar
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
covered the song during a recorded acoustic set for The Sun
American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
performed this song at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
as part of her 90-minute set on the last day of the festival on June 26, 2011.
The Mexican Sabrosindie/Cumbiatronic duo Los Master Plus have released a Spanish version of the song entitled "Sexo en fuego."