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Set Fire to the Rain

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"Set Fire to the Rain"
Song

"Set Fire to the Rain" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele from her second studio album 21. Written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith and produced by Smith, the power ballad was released as the second single from the album in Europe. It was released as the third single in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2011, where the song has peaked at number 11. The song has peaked at number one in Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands. The song has charted within the top 10 of Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. "Set Fire to the Rain" was released on 21 November 2011 as 21's third official single in the United States.

Background and release

"Set Fire to the Rain" was written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith while the production was handled by Smith.[1] On 28 October, during an interview with Billboard, Columbia Records revealed that "Rumour Has It" will be released as the third single from the album and serviced to pop and adult contemporary radio.[2] However, the release of the song was scrapped and "Set Fire to the Rain" was released as the third US-single on 21 November 2011.[3][4] A spokesperson for Columbia, Pete Cosenza stated: "Our research found more programmer preference for 'Set Fire to the Rain'. [...] Both 'Rumour' and 'Fire' came back strong, but 'Fire' was a bit stronger. [...] It's a better plan to go with 'Fire' over 'Rumour' at pop and adult radio. [...] Everyone, from radio to the buying public, seems to be on board."[3]

Composition

"Set Fire to the Rain" is the fifth track on Adele's second album 21. It was written with producer Fraser T. Smith with whom she has worked on various tracks. It is written in the key of D Minor and Adele's voice expands from Bb3-D5.[5] The song describes the contradictory elements of a relationship, and the impossibility of letting go which is displayed in the lyrics "You and me together, nothing gets better/But there’s a side to you that I never knew, never knew/All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true/And the games you play, you would always win."[6][7] One of the most pop-influenced of the album,[8] the song is characterized by John Murphy of MusicOMH as a "power ballad".[9] In contrast to the understated production of most songs on the album, the song features lush instrumentation and a swelling string arrangement[10][6] over a mid-tempo rhythm,[11] creating a wall of sound[10][12] for the singer's mourning vocals. Dave Simpson of The Guardian concluded that the song was inspired "when mah lightah stopped workin'" in the wet.[13]

Reception

Critical reception

"Set Fire to the Rain"
A 23-second sample of "Set Fire to the Rain", one of the more pop-influenced songs on the album, described as an "epic" power ballad.[9]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

A writer for the magazine URB said that the song had "starbucks-friendlier content" and further called it "melodramatic".[14] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly concluded that the song had "scorned-woman balladry" and it "surge[s] on the pure force of her titanic wail."[15] While reviewing 21, a writer of The New York Times said, "the vocal effects on 'Set Fire to the Rain,' produced by Fraser T. Smith, the most pop-minded of the assembled team, are superfluous."[16] John Murphy of MusicOMH gave a negative review towards the song calling it "real misfire" and "overproduced".[9] However he added, "it's a decent enough song, but Adele's always sounded best when it's just a piano and a voice."[9] Writing for the magazine Herald Sun, Camreon Adams called the song a "triumphant radio-hit-in-waiting of next single" and concluded that "once the chorus kicks in, you're a goner."[17]

Gary McGinley of No Ripcord highlighted "Set Fire to the Rain" calling it "the catchiest song" on 21.[10] Another writer of Daily Herald said that Adele sounds "epic" on the song.[18] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post found the song to be "galloping, out-of-place synth-rock number" and added that "even Adele can't save" the song.[19] Nick Freed of Consequence of Sound said that "Set Fire to the Rain" finds Adele at "her strongest and most open."[6] He further called the song "one of 21's angrier tracks" and concluded: "The chorus' hooks are crazy catchy, and by the final one Adele releases and her hurt slips through the anger to give you a damn real and forward show of emotion. I’d imagine seeing this song live or in a stripped down setting would make one bawl like a child. You’ll want to pump your fist and pound your chest. That’s a guarantee."[6] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy praised the song saying, "'It was dark and I was over/ Until you kissed my lips and saved me,' she admits over a gloomy piano riff, before launching into a ballsy, hands-in-the-air chorus. 'I set fire to the rain/ and I threw us into the flames,' she belts with growly vocals against cinematic strings. Rounding out with a suitably breathtaking blast from her impressive pipes and the result sounds like classic, though it's anything but camp."[20]

Chart performance

"Set Fire to the Rain" has charted at many charts enjoying moderate success especially in Europe, where the song has charted within the top 10 of Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland and topping the charts in Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands.[21] The song debuted at number 79 on the UK Singles Chart[22] and it moved to number 44 the next week selling 6,286 copies.[23][24] It later peaked at number 11 on the chart on the week ending 16 July 2011 and it stayed on the same position for two weeks selling another 24,978 copies.[25][22] A Moto Blanco remix of the song received some airplay in Spain.

FX used "Set Fire to the Rain" to promote the final season of Rescue Me along with the show's series finale.[3] The song was also featured in promotionals to the new TV series Ringer and Revenge which caused an airplay in the United States without being serviced to radio stations.[3] Before being released as a single, the song has charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks and re-entered 3 times, peaking at number 72 on 13 September.[26] As of November 2011, it has sold over 683,000 downloads in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[3] When the song was released in the United States, it re-entered the chart on number 89. Then the next week it rose to number 74. So far, it has peaked at number 56.

Live performances

Adele peformed the song live for the first time on 29 April on The Graham Norton Show.[27] She also performed the track on 3 May at Jools Holland along with the tracks "Rolling in the Deep", "Don't You Remember" and "Take It All".[28] Adele also added the song to the set list of her second worldwide tour.[29]

Track listing

  1. "Set Fire to the Rain" (Thomas Gold Remix) – 5:50
  2. "Set Fire to the Rain" (Thomas Gold Dub) – 5:21
  3. "Set Fire to the Rain" (Moto Blanco Remix) – 5:21
  4. "Set Fire to the Rain" (Moto Blanco Edit) – 3:35

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format
Austria[31] 4 July 2011 Digital EP — remixes
Germany[64]
Italy[65]
Netherlands[65]
United Kingdom[66]
United States 21 November 2011 AC radio[67]
5 December 2011 Triple A radio[68]
13 December 2011 Top 40/Mainstream radio[67]

See also

References

  1. ^ Adkins, Adele (2011). 21 (Liner Notes) (Media notes). London, England: Columbia Records/XL Recordings. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |publisherid=, |coauthors=, and |notestitle= (help); Unknown parameter |albumlink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Trust, Gary (28 October 2011). "Weekly Chart Notes: Adele, Justin Bieber, Jason Aldean". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e Trust, Gary (9 November 2011). "Adele's 'Set Fire to the Rain' Is Next Single From '21'". Billboard. New York: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Going For Adds: CHR/Top 40 - 21 November 2011". R&R magazine. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain Sheet Music (Digital download)". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d Freed, Nick (8 April 2011). "Album Review: Adele – 21". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 September 2011. Cite error: The named reference "Consequence of Sound" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ Adkins, Adele (2011). "Adele 21 Track by Track Interview". Adele.tv. XL Recordings. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  8. ^ Dorken, Joanne (21 January 2011). "Adele 21 – Track By Track Review". MTV UK. MTV Networks. Retrieved 24 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Murphy, John (24 January). "Adele: 21 Review". musicOMH. Retrieved 24 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c McGinley, Gary (25 January 2011). "Adele 21". No Ripcord. Retrieved 1 May 2011. Cite error: The named reference "ripcord" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ Thrills, Adrian (20 January 2011). "'I'm a failure...that's why I sing': Never mind the hits, Adele reveals that she is fuelled by pain and insecurity". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers; Daily Mail and General Trust plc. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  12. ^ Gipson, L. Michael (2 February 2011). "Adele: 21". Creative Loafing (Atlanta). CL Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  13. ^ Simpson, Dave (15 April 2011). "Adele – review". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  14. ^ "Adele: 21". URB. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  15. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (9 February 2011). "Review: Adele, 21". Entertainment Weekly. Time division of Time Warner. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  16. ^ Caramanica, Jon; Pareles Jon; Chinene Nate (1 March 2011). "New Music From Adele, Lucinda Williams and Cuong Vu". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 17 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Adams, Camreon (20 January 2011). "Album of the week: Adele". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  18. ^ "Adele's second is personal and perfect". Daily Herald. Paddock Publications. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  19. ^ Stewart, Allison (21 February 2011). "Adele's '21' album: Sophomore disc designed to transcend trends". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  20. ^ Copsey, Robert (3 July 2011). "Adele: 'Set Fire to the Rain'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  21. ^ a b "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  22. ^ a b "Chart Stats - Adele - Set Fire to the Rain". Chart Stats. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  23. ^ Jones, Alan (9 May 2011). "Adele and LMFAO retain chart crowns". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  24. ^ Sexton, Paul (9 May 2011). "Fleet Foxes Debut at No. 2 on U.K. Chart, Ellie Goulding Climbs". Billboard. London: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  25. ^ Jones, Alan (24 July 2011). "The Wanted buck boy-band trend keep top spot on singles chart". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  26. ^ a b "Adele Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  27. ^ Love, Ryan (5 May 2011). "Adele: 'I'd do it with Rihanna'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  28. ^ BBC Two Later... with Jools Holland: Series 38: Episode 5 BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2011
  29. ^ Dorken, Joanne (20 September 2011). "Adele Live Review". MTV UK. MTV Networks.
  30. ^ TuneTribe (4 July 2011). "Adele - Set Fire To The Rain - TuneTribe.com". TuneTribe. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  31. ^ a b "Set Fire to the Rain (Remixes) - EP von Adele" (in German). iTunes Store (Austria). Apple Inc. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  32. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  33. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  34. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  35. ^ "Adele - Set Fire To The Rain - Music Charts". aCharts. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  36. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 42. týden 2011 in the date selector. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  37. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Tracklisten. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  38. ^ "Adele: Set Fire to the Rain" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  39. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  40. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  41. ^ "Chart Track: Week 35, 2011". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  42. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  43. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Adele" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  44. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  45. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". VG-lista. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  46. ^ "Top 5 Airplay". Polish Music Charts (in Polish). ZPAV. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  47. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  48. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201142 into search. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  49. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  50. ^ "Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  51. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  52. ^ "Chart Highlights: Pop, Country Songs & More". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  53. ^ "Chartbeat Monday 11/21/11". Billboard.com. Retrieved 11/212011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  54. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/column/chartbeat/chart-highlights-taio-cruz-s-hangover-debuts-1005573552.story
  55. ^ "Top 50 Singles Chart". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  56. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2011". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  57. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  58. ^ "Certificeringer | ifpi.dk" (in Danish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  59. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Adele; 'Set Fire to the Rain')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  60. ^ "Certificazioni Download FIMI - Week 21- Ending: 3/07/2011" (PDF) (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  61. ^ "Top 40 Singles Chart - Monday 14 September 2011". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Hung Medien.
  62. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Set Fire to the Rain')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  63. ^ "American single certifications – Adele – Set Fire to the Rain". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  64. ^ "Set Fire to the Rain: Adele: Amazon.de: MP3-Downloads". Amazon.de. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  65. ^ a b "Set Fire to the Rain (Remixes) - EP di Adele" (in Italian). iTunes Store (Italy). Apple Inc. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  66. ^ Corner, Lewis (9 June 2011). "Adele confirms new single 'Set Fire to the Rain'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  67. ^ a b "R&R :: Going For Adds :: AC". R&R magazine. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011. Cite error: The named reference "release3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  68. ^ http://www.allaccess.com/triple-a/future-releases

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