| "Burnin' It Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byJason Aldean | ||||
| from the albumOld Boots, New Dirt | ||||
| Released | July 22, 2014 (2014-07-22) | |||
| Recorded | 2013–14 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | Broken Bow | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Michael Knox | |||
| Jason Aldean singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Burnin' It Down" is a song written byRodney Clawson,Chris Tompkins andFlorida Georgia Line membersTyler Hubbard andBrian Kelley and recorded by Americancountry music artistJason Aldean. It was released in July 2014 as the first single from Aldean's 2014 albumOld Boots, New Dirt. The song won the "Top Country Song" category at the2015Billboard Music Awards,[1] but polarized critics.
The song is a midtempo ballad about a sexual encounter with a lover, inspired byR&B music.Florida Georgia Line, two of the song's co-writers, originally planned on recording it until Aldean expressed interest in the song.[2]
Aldean toldCountry Music Television (CMT) that he considered the song "baby making music". He also felt that it was a different song style for him due to it being more sexual in nature and featuring adrum loop.[3]
The single has polarized critics. Leeann Ward ofCountry Universe gave the song a D grade, writing that "There’s a line between a passionate love song and a passionless song. There’s [also] a line between a sexy song and a sex filled song. And there’s [even] a line between a classy, passionate love song and a classless, passionless sex filled song." Ward also said that “Burnin’ it Down” crosses the line to the latter categories on all accounts."[4]
Giving it a B grade, Tammy Ragusa ofCountry Weekly was more favorable, writing that "Jason [Aldean] proves [that] he can also change things up, which he does dramatically through edgy, urban-and-pop-influenced arrangements and production" and that "the song's sexy lyrics push the boundaries of what might be construed as traditional themes in country music."[5] In a review ofOld Boots, New Dirt forBillboard, Chuck Dauphin praised "Burnin' It Down" as "the most musically adventurous track that Aldean has ever recorded".[6]
During its first week in release, the song sold 184,000 downloads in the United States[7] and debuted at number 42 onBillboard's Hot Country Songs chart. In its second week, the song moved from number 42 to 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. On September 29, 2014, the song was certified Platinum by theRIAA just nine weeks after release, becoming the fastest single of 2014 to do that.[8] It reached its millionth sales mark in October 2014.[9] As of April 2015, the song has sold 1,589,000 copies in the US.[10]
In Canada, the song sold 15,000 downloads in its debut week.[11]
The music video was directed byWes Edwards and premiered in August 2014.[12]
Weekly charts
Certifications
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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