Seriously, fuck you low scores for making me cut this before the top 40...
62. Burn
I made this when I thought this would make a shock entry into the top 40 and leave you haters pressed...unfortunately 2016 has struck again and here we are...
Average: 6.60
High: 10 x 7 (
@GhettoPrincess @DJHazey @Remorque @Slice of Life @Sprockrooster @Conan @D.Jay)
Low: 0 x 1 (
@xtophermorrison)
My score: 9
I fucking use the shit out of this song and I'm not afraid to say that it gives me LOIFE. This was my Summer '13 ANTHEM, I cannot even begin to explain the flashbacks I get whenever I hear this; in driving to the beach in my grandad's pickup truck, feeling my fucking oats. What a time that was. I mean, it was so apt because it was nearing 40 degrees that year (that's
celsius for the Americunties reading this) so I was fucking melting at that point.
There are so many
layers to this song, so many that I'm confident that I cannot possibly do it justice with this write-up, but imma get the Wiki page up and do my best. All of these
layers contribute to the controversy that this song conjures up among Ellie fans. Unlike many fan faves, Ellie didn't have a massive hand in its birth; it was originally intended for Leona Lewis' Glassheart album, but was later scrapped, just like Only Girl In The World and Halo. Poor it. At least she kept the title track of said album, because that is a bonafide #BOP. It was then offered to Ellie, who despite having just released one of the most critically and commercially successful, credible and cohesive pop albums in recent memory, wanted another hit.
Well, she certainly got a hit - it gave Ellie her first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, selling 116,857 copies in its first week and staying atop the chart for three. The track attained similar success internationally, reaching the top 10 in several countries, as well as number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. This quickly became her signature song in many markets, until the
juggernaut that is Love Me Like You Do came along two years later, but more on
that later.
Ultimately, the fact that this blew up the way it did made many Ellie fans PRESSED. This was the first time Ellie had fully embraced her love for EDM in such an open way; Halcyon Days was essentially an EP of collaborations with various EDM producers, which was a far cry from the parent album of dark, brooding and emotionally-tinged folk-tronica. I mean, it
IS a bit ridiculous and shallow, but you know what? It pops the fuck off and it is the quintessential summer bop.
‘And what we see is everybody's on the floor acting crazy, getting loco 'til the lights out’ is an iconic lyric and people are still loving it.
I'm shocked to have to cut this is early, if not for the frenzy that would've ensued had this remained for a few more rounds of eliminations. I was also shocked that this got so many more 10s than it did 0s, since it is easily her most controversial tracks to date. The divide in opinion this causes is well represented by the comments below:
xtophermorrison (0) went IN, serving ‘me during Brexit night teas’:
It’s terrible, soulless, and pretty horrendous. To think it charted higher than most of her previous singles and the accolades it’s received has caused me to lose faith in the general public’s listening capabilities. Awful.
In case you didn’t know,
kaushik (3) really fucking hates this song…
I hate everything about this song. Why she felt the need to sell out and record something mediocre is beyond me.
Remyky22 (3), the hatin’ ass bitch, had the audacity to send me THIS:
This one was difficult for me to rate, because I loathe the very idea of Ellie getting her biggest money off the back of someone like Leona Lewis, and this was basically the point in her career that heralded the imminent loss of personality of her music. On the other hand, I want to be just and rate the song for what it is on its own and I won't lie that it managed to sound decent once or twice. Listening to it again, now, after months and months of not hearing it, I've realized I most certainly don't like it. It's really bad.
Consideration (3) gives us yet another extra and HATEFUL paragraph:
I fucking despise this song. Well, more the context in which this was released. It's such a medicore song in the first place, but it feels plain insulting coming after the masterpiece that Halcyon was. I've made my peace with Ellie as a full-fledged popstar (albeit a somewhat incapable one when it comes to selling the actual popstar package) but this will forever feel like such a slap in the face to the path she was heading on during Halcyon. I don't even think I'd hate it as much if it wasn't part of a re-release, but part of a new album. But the way everything about this unfolded leaves such a bad taste in my mouth.
Epic Chocolat chucked this a 5 and added that
‘I live for the Ministry of Sound remix’. This prompted me to check out said remix, and I can confirm that it does in fact pop off. I popped it at the end of this post so y'all can check it out.
Mikey1707 (5) resents Ellie for wanting a hit and some coins...
Insipid, tedious and uninspired. This was Ellie pandering to the general public for the first time and I almost handed in my stan card.
Terminus (6), the album’s called ‘Delirium’, not Devotion…
I wonder if Leona had kept it, it still would have been a hit? It's just a bit: meh; I don't hate it, and it goes down well in a concert, but she had much more to give to the public on Halcyon then going down this easier option. It sort of lead the way she went forward with Devotion, and it really shouldn't.
#PoorLeona
Always full of surprises,
ohnostalgia (7) didn’t drag this basic EDM bop:
I don't mind this, but it definitely does not reach the heights of her greatest works. This is the track the some people say foreshadowed Delirium isn't it? I guess I can see that- it's a bit generi-bop.
I fucking love this lil comment from
Laura Vanderbooben (8.5), which basically sums up my feelings better than I ever could:
yas c’mon selling out
Slice of Life (10) is a #UnapologeticBitch and I live for it:
I actually didn't know people hated this song until I became a PJ member N N N N. I still love this because I have a very white basic taste. Hehehe. #sorrynotsorry
GhettoPrincess (10) is ready to join the Burn Defense League (BDL):
I’ve never understood the hate this gets on Popjustice, it’s one of the more interesting upbeat songs that Ellie has done and it fits perfectly with her voice.
This is beautiful,
D.Jay (10), I'm crying.
This song really signaled a change in my life. A sign of optimism and learning to embrace and appreciate everything around me. For me and my friends this song reminds us our college years getting drunk and partying but more importantly loving and supporting each other cementing our friendship for the years that followed. Whilst this song gets a lot of shit, the fact that it became Ellie’s first number one enlightened me with such joy.
I am so sorry...
Sprockrooster (10) sort of commits to the fire pun thing, but burns out fairly quickly, to my dissapointment:
This song sparked the ember that made me love Ellie again. A return from her in my playlist and made sure she was someone to watch out for. The runner-up for my 11, but because of the massive onslaught this song got before voting ended I did not want to waste my 11, even if it would have helped to go on further.
And I knew I could rely on
DJHazey (10) on this one! Take it away:
I already know that I'm going to be one of the few 10s for this one and I accept that. I get it, it's basic as fuck and it's not what her fans really want her to be doing. Despite sharing this opinion that she should not be reducing herself to this level on the 'basic scale', I can't help but love every single second regardless. I honestly wasn't sure it was her when I first heard "burn burn burn burn" on the radio and was blown away when I found out. Catchy pop hooks from Ellie are always going to be welcomed by me, but that 'When the light started out..." part is what makes this everything. I also love her little 'fiiyah' which always makes me heart do somersaults.
