Burn It Down (Parker McCollum song) explained

Burn It Down
Cover:Parker McCollum - Burn It Down.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Parker McCollum
Album:Never Enough
Released:June 19, 2023
Genre:Country
Length:
  • 3:53 (album version)
  • 3:36 (radio edit)
Label:MCA Nashville
Producer:Jon Randall
Prev Title:Handle on You
Prev Year:2022

"Burn It Down" is a song by American country music singer Parker McCollum. It was released on June 19, 2023, as the second single from his fourth studio album Never Enough.[1] The song was written by McCollum and the Love Junkies (Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose) and produced by Jon Randall.

Background

During a writing session that Parker McCollum hosted at his Nashville home on September 27, 2022, he confided to Liz Rose that he did not feel like writing anything. When he and the Love Junkies began their session, they spent about half an hour talking and strumming guitars. McCollum developed a groove and repeated the phrase "burn it down", eventually filling in extra lines after each repetition.

They wrote much of the chorus, before shifting back to the beginning and working on the verses, and made a guitar/vocal work tape at the end of the session. Hillary Lindsey provided harmony, singing "burn it, burn it" ahead of the third chorus. McCollum brought the recording to Jon Randall, who helped with the instrumental along with session player Jedd Hughes and engineer F. Reid Shippen.[2]

Composition

The song is about a person ending a relationship with a former significant other and removing everything that brings to mind the good times they had together.[3] The narrator is in a house full of said memories; in the first verse, the goodbye is scattered across the lawn, while the second verse focuses on the bed and its related feelings. More than two minutes through the song, a guitar solo is played.

Music video

An official music video was released on May 12, 2023. Directed by Dustin Haney and filmed in the desert of New Mexico, it opens with Parker McCollum wandering in the desert. As the guitar solo starts, he is seen performing with a band, with pyrotechnics in the background.

Charts

Chart (2023–2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia Country Hot 50 (The Music)[4] 23
UK Country Airplay (Radiomonitor)[5] 1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations New Music Artist Free Song" . February 19, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230619202123/https://www.allaccess.com/country/future-releases . June 19, 2023 . February 19, 2024.
  2. Web site: Roland . Tom . How Parker McCollum’s ‘Burn It Down’ Matched Its Smoldering Music and Message . . 19 February 2024 . August 1, 2023.
  3. Web site: Cox . Brady . The Pyrotechnics Were In Full Force For Parker McCollum’s New “Burn It Down” Music Video . Whiskey Riff . 19 February 2024 . May 15, 2023.
  4. Web site: Countrytown Hot 50 – 2024, Week 20. https://web.archive.org/web/20240518160547/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://countrytown.com/charts/countrytown-hot-50?year=2024&week=20 . May 18, 2024. Countrytown. May 18, 2024.
  5. Web site: Conner Smith tops UK's first ever Country Radio Airplay Chart. Tom. Eames. March 11, 2024. Smooth Radio.