Burn the House Down (song) explained

Burn the House Down
Cover:Burn the House Down.jpg
Type:single
Artist:AJR
Album:The Click (Deluxe)
Recorded:2017
Genre:Pop[1]
Label:
Producer:Ryan Met
Prev Title:Sober Up
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:Pretender
Next Year:2018

"Burn the House Down" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on March 23, 2018, as a single from the deluxe edition of their second studio album The Click.

Background

In 2017, s director Morgan Spurlock reached out to AJR via Twitter, asking the band to create the theme song for it.[2] The band watched the documentary and later stated "we were blown away after watching the film, and we immediately connected with Morgan’s passion as an underdog trying to shed light on this corrupt giant".[3] "Burn the House Down" additionally reflected the position of American politics in 2017, with member Ryan Met saying "there’s a tangible power that our generation now has, making real political change in the world. That energy excites us, so we wanted to write a song shedding light on it".[4] AJR planned on releasing "Burn the House Down" in October 2017, but the song was pushed back for unknown reasons.[5] It was teased on March 21 and released March 23, 2018.[6] The song had received over 105 million streams as of July 2019,[7] and has over 351 million streams as of September 2023.

Composition

"Burn the House Down" is composed in common time and in the key of C major, with a tempo of 92 beats per minute (bpm).

During AJR's "How We Made" series and several of their tours, they showcased the step-by-step process of the creation of the song.[8] The song's production began with an "angry and badass" bassline, applying Transient Designer to give the bass more attack. The band then created a drum kit for the song with a high-end filtered and distorted kick drum, a dubstep snare with a hand clap mixed in, and a hi-hat. Piano, organ, and percussion were later added to the bass and drums, nearly forming the full instrumental. Finally, the band wanted a "unique" instrument for the song's hook, initially trying marimba and cello before settling on a digitally pitch-bended trumpet.[9]

Music video

A music video directed by the Mitchells and Spencer Hord was released on August 30, 2018. The video cuts between the band performing the song in a purple-lit warehouse and the band sitting on a gold bench with blindfolds being led from room to room with political imagery before ending with a fiery protest.[10] The video has grossed over 100 million views as of September 2023, making it the second most viewed video on the band's YouTube channel, the first most being "World's Smallest Violin".

Use in media

"Burn the House Down" was used for the March for Our Lives protest in 2018, appearing in the announcement for the campaign's "Road to Change" tour.[11] The band endorsed the campaign and partnered with March for Our Lives to educate their audience about ending gun violence and register voters at their concerts. However, AJR was initially conflicted about this use, with band member Adam Met later stating "we did not see AJR as a band that would lead the way towards a more progressive sunset. We saw this song as a way for us to question our own political responsibilities".[12]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[13]

Charts

"Burn the House Down" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart for six weeks in a row, with the band later tweeting:

Weekly charts

Chart (2018–2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
US Alternative Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[14] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[15] 13
Chart (2019)Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[16] 49

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label
WorldwideMarch 23, 2018Ultra[17]
VariousSeptember 21, 20187-inchBMG[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AJR - Burn the House Down Album Reviews, Songs & More . . March 23, 2018 . September 13, 2023.
  2. Web site: Dewey. Atticus. Burn the House Down. The Communicator. April 4, 2018. September 11, 2023.
  3. Newman. Melinda. AJR Pens Theme Song for Morgan Spurlock's 'Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken': Exclusive. Billboard. September 5, 2017. September 12, 2023.
  4. Honeycutt. Shanté. AJR Drop Fiery New Song 'Burn the House Down'. Billboard. March 23, 2018. September 11, 2023.
  5. Web site: AJR. Cannot wait to release this song next month . Twitter. September 5, 2017. September 14, 2023.
  6. Web site: AJR. FRIDAY.. Twitter. March 21, 2018. September 14, 2023.
  7. Web site: Widran. Jonathan. Ryan Met Of Indie Pop Band AJR, Talks About Their Hit Songs "100 Bad Days" and "Burn The House Down," And Their Album, Neotheater. Songwriter Universe. July 30, 2019. September 11, 2023.
  8. Web site: Met. Ryan. HOW WE MADE: "BURN THE HOUSE DOWN". Twitter. July 10, 2018. September 13, 2023.
  9. Web site: Fields. Taylor. AJR Talks 'Neotheater,' the Album's Easter Eggs & More During Denver Show. iHeartRadio. December 17, 2019. September 13, 2023.
  10. Web site: BMG. US: AJR debut music video for hit single 'Burn The House Down'. BMG. August 30, 2018. September 12, 2023.
  11. Kaplan. Ilana. AJR Talk March for Our Lives Anthem, Being a Sibling Band. Rolling Stone. June 28, 2018. September 11, 2023.
  12. Met. Adam. Adam Met of AJR on Modern Protest Songs: Op-Ed. Billboard. September 21, 2023. September 11, 2023.
  13. Web site: Credits / The Click (Deluxe Edition) / AJR . September 21, 2018 . . September 13, 2023.
  14. Alternative Digital Song Sales. Billboard. October 27, 2018. September 23, 2023.
  15. Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2018. Billboard. September 12, 2023.
  16. Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. September 12, 2023.
  17. "Burn the House Down" digital releases:
  18. Web site: AJR – Burn The House Down (2018, Vinyl) . . September 21, 2018 . September 13, 2023.