Crossfire (Brandon Flowers song)

"Crossfire"
Single by Brandon Flowers
from the album Flamingo
B-side "On the Floor 2.0"
Released June 21, 2010 (USA)
August 23, 2010 (UK)
Format Download, 10", CD
Recorded April 3, 2010
Genre Pop rock[1]
Length 4:17 (album version)
3:59 (radio edit)
Label Island
Songwriter(s) Brandon Flowers
Producer(s) Brendan O'Brien
Brandon Flowers singles chronology
"Crossfire"
(2010)		 "Only the Young"
(2010)

"Crossfire"
(2010)		 "Only the Young"
(2010)
Music video
Official Music Video on YouTube

"Crossfire" is the debut solo single from singer-songwriter and frontman of The Killers, Brandon Flowers. Written by Flowers himself, and produced by Brendan O'Brien,[2] it is the first single from his debut solo album, Flamingo. A video for the single was released on July 8, 2010, and features actress Charlize Theron.

Release and promotion

"Crossfire" first appeared when it was leaked online on June 11, 2010.[3] On June 14, it was premiered in the UK on the Zane Lowe Show on BBC Radio 1, where Flowers also gave an interview.[4] A 10" picture disc vinyl was released in the US on August 3, 2010, featuring an acoustic version of "On the Floor" titled "On the Floor 2.0" on the B-side. On the week of the August 23 Brandon Flowers was officially the most played artist on the BBC, despite only having one song available for airplay. Crossfire was on both the A playlist for BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. On September 6 "Crossfire" was #1 on the NME chart and remained so through September 27 for several weeks.[5][6]

Track listing

iTunes download
  1. "Crossfire" – 4:17
Promo CD
  1. "Crossfire" (radio version) – 3:59
  2. "Crossfire" (album version) – 4:17
  3. "Crossfire" (instrumental) – 4:17
10" picture disc
  1. "Crossfire" – 4:17
  2. "On the Floor 2.0" – 3:10

Music video

The music video premiered on July 8, 2010 on VEVO. It was directed by Australian film director Nash Edgerton and stars actress Charlize Theron.[7] The video features various scenes involving Flowers being tied up as a hostage. Theron kills several ninjas before rescuing him each time. The final scene shows Theron putting her arm around Flowers, while driving away with him in a pick-up truck.

In an interview with Fuse, Flowers revealed that Theron was a fan of The Killers, and that she was interested in being a part of the video. She also led him to Edgerton, who was ultimately chosen to direct the video.

Reception

Critical

The song received mixed reviews from critics. Rolling Stone gave the song two-and-a-half stars, saying it "sounds like a Killers B side — standard-issue Boss-meets-Bono dance rock, with Flowers serving up so much meteorological-metaphor fury, you'll want to call FEMA."[8] Of the track, Billboard said "Flowers simply follows the pop direction that his band has taken of late," and that "Flowers may sound a little too eager to assign an epic quality to his first effort as a solo artist, but 'Crossfire' still hints at a promising direction for Flamingo."[9] USA Today said of the song that "The Killers' frontman kicks off solo debut Flamingo with a soaring pop/rock anthem in the band's comfort zone."[10] Flowers said that it is his son Ammon's favorite song on the album.[2]

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 46
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 52
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[13] 3
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[14] 49
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 70
Denmark (Tracklisten)[16] 40
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[17] 23
Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 34
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 4
Israel (Media Forest)[20] 8
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[21] 64
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 22
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[24] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 35
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 8
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[27] 15
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[27] 6
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[28] 3
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[29] 5
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[27] 11

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Silver 200,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Covers

Fran Healy (of Travis) covered the song at The Sun's "Biz Sessions" in October 2010.[31]

References

  1. ↑ Gill, Andy (October 23, 2011). "Album: Brandon Flowers, Flamingo (Vertigo)". The Independent.
  2. 1 2 Scaggs, Austin (June 25, 2010). "The Killers' Brandon Flowers: Why I'm Going Solo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  3. ↑ Lee, Ann (15 June 2010). "Brandon Flowers debuts solo single Crossfire". Metro. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Murray, Robin (15 June 2010). "The Killers Singer Talks Solo Album". Clash. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Brandon Flowers tops NME Chart with 'Crossfire' | News". Nme.Com. 2010-09-06. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  6. ↑ "Brandon Flowers beats Mark Ronson to the top of the NME Chart | News". Nme.Com. 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  7. ↑ "Charlize Theron Saves Brandon Flowers in 'Crossfire' - Viral Videos". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  8. ↑ J.D.. (August 5, 2010), "Brandon's Big Heartache". Rolling Stone. (1110):79
  9. ↑ Clendaniel, Erin (July 24, 2010), "Crossfire". Billboard. 122 (29):49
  10. ↑ Edna Gundersen (June 29, 2010) "Tracks". USA Today.
  11. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire" (in French). Ultratip.
  15. ↑ "Brandon Flowers Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  16. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". Tracklisten.
  17. ↑ "Brandon Flowers – Chart history" European Hot 100 for Brandon Flowers.
  18. ↑ "Musicline.de – Flowers, Brandon Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  19. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 34, 2010". Irish Singles Chart.
  20. ↑ "Brandon Flowers – Crossfire Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  21. ↑ "Brandon Flowers Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
  22. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Brandon Flowers" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  23. ↑ "Charts.nz – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". Top 40 Singles.
  24. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. 1 2 3 "Brandon Flowers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Brandon Flowers Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. ↑ "Brandon Flowers Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Enter Crossfire in the search field and then press Enter.
  31. ↑ The Sun. London http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/article307898.ece?channel=Biz+Sessions&clipID=1347_SUN48872. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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