"World on Fire" is a song by American country music singer Nate Smith, written by Smith, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips and Lindsay Rimes. It was released on June 5, 2023, as the second single from his self-titled debut album.
| "World on Fire" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_Official_Single_Cover_Art.jpg) | ||||
| Single by Nate Smith | ||||
| from the album Nate Smith (Deluxe) | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:11 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Lindsay Rimes | |||
| Nate Smith singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternate single cover | ||||
 "Bonfire version" cover | ||||
History
editThe idea for the song "World on Fire" came during a songwriting session among Nate Smith, Ashley Gorley, Lindsay Rimes, and Taylor Phillips. Phillips, who is also a volunteer firefighter, came up with the title "world on fire" after using that phrase to recount a fire at a construction site. He then thought the idea of a narrator's world being "on fire" would convey the end of a relationship. Smith, meanwhile, was inspired to build on the idea as he remembered the Camp Fire, a wildfire that affected his hometown of Paradise, California, in 2018. Rimes then recorded the demo, which featured multiple guitar tracks from him and guitarist Sol Philcox-Littlefield; Rimes told Billboard that his inspiration for the arrangement was the work of the Foo Fighters. As Smith had already submitted the master tracks for his album to his label, he could not add the song without overriding pre-sale sales figures. As a result, the label close to issue a deluxe version with "World on Fire" and five other tracks, which would be released the same day as the regular version of the album.[1]
Music video
editSmith released a music video on July 12, 2023, directed by Chris Ashlee. The video features Smith singing the song as a fire occurs around him.[2]
Charts
editThe song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Smith's second number-one hit on the Country Airplay chart for the week of December 23, 2023, spending ten consecutive weeks there until it was dethroned by Warren Zeiders's "Pretty Little Poison" on the chart dated March 2, 2024. The song's ten-week run at the top tied a record with Morgan Wallen's 2022 single "You Proof" for the longest-running number one single in the chart's history.[3]
Weekly charts
edit| Chart (2023–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Country Hot 50 (The Music)[4] | 14 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] | 39 |
| Canada Country (Billboard)[6] | 1 |
| UK Country Airplay (Radiomonitor)[7] | 15 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 21 |
| US Country Airplay (Billboard)[9] | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10][11] | 6 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 67 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[13] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Tom Roland (June 27, 2023). "Nate Smith's 'World on Fire' Finds a Silver Lining in Personal Tragedy". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Lexi Liby (July 13, 2023). "Watch: Nate Smith Unleashes Fiery New Music Video 'World On Fire'". Country Now. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Asker, Jim (February 16, 2024). "'World' Record: Nate Smith Ties for Longest-Leading No. 1 in Country Airplay Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ "Countrytown Hot 50 – 2024, Week 20". Countrytown. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian Hot 100: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Canada Country chart for December 23, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ Farthing, Lydia (March 21, 2024). "The Official UK Radio Country Airplay Chart". Holler.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of January 20, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs: Week of January 20, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Nate Smith – World on Fire". Music Canada. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ "American single certifications – Nate Smith – World on Fire". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 16, 2024.