&Burn

"&Burn" is a song by American singer Billie Eilish and American rapper Vince Staples. It was released for digital download and streaming as a single on December 15, 2017, through Darkroom and Interscope Records, and was later included on a reissue of Eilish's debut EP, Don't Smile at Me, in December of that year. Staples and Finneas O'Connell co-wrote the song, with the latter solely handling production. A hip hop-influenced track, the song is an alternate version of Eilish's single "Watch".

"&Burn"
Single by Billie Eilish and Vince Staples
ReleasedDecember 15, 2017
GenrePop
Length2:59
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Finneas O'Connell
Billie Eilish singles chronology
"My Boy"
(2017)		 "&Burn"
(2017)		 "Bitches Broken Hearts"
(2018)
Vince Staples singles chronology
"Rain Come Down"
(2017)		 "&Burn"
(2017)		 "Get the Fuck Off My Dick"
(2018)

The lyrics of the song address Eilish leaving a toxic relationship. "&Burn" received positive reviews from music critics, with many liking the lyrical content and production. The song has been certified gold in both the United States and Australia by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), respectively. It was performed live by Eilish and Staples at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019.

Background and release

In a statement made by Eilish to The Fader through email, she wrote, "Vince Staples was my number 1 choice, so when we got him to hear it and he agreed to do it, it was incredible and the verse he did is so good. He is a god and I'm excited for it to finally come out!"[1] When Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell were recording the song, it was under the title of "Watch & Burn".[2][3] The track later became two separate songs, with one being "Watch" (2017), and the other being "&Burn".[4][5][6]

The track was written by Staples and O'Connell, the latter of which solely produced it.[7][8] Mastering and mixing was handled by the studio personnel John Greenham and Rob Kinelski, respectively.[9] "&Burn" was released as a single on December 15, 2017 for digital download and streaming in various countries, through Darkroom and Interscope Records.[10] The song was later included on the December 2019 reissue of Eilish's debut EP Don't Smile at Me.[11]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

Critical commentary described "&Burn" as a hip hop-influenced pop track.[1][12] David Renshaw from The Fader described "&Burn" as a "moody slow-burner packed with booming drums and hushed verses".[1] Wandera Hussein of Billboard stated the track is supported by "booming kick drums" and "velvety keys". She further mentioned that Eilish's vocals are "poignant, baby-soft, [and] express a fiery revenge".[6] Staples provides background vocals on the song and his appearance has been described as a "deep and gloomy verse".[13][14] The song starts with the strike of a match, which continues throughout as the main beat.[5][13]

Reception and promotion

"&Burn" was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. Insider's Callie Ahlgrim commented that "Watch" feels more "vulnerable" and "nostalgic", while "&Burn" sounds "powerful" and "resolute".[13] Lindsay Howard of Variance labeled the former as "simmering".[3] Robin Murray of Clash described "&Burn" as a "remarkable fusion that brings out the best in [Eilish] and [Staples].[15] Matthew Kent, writing for The Line of Best Fit, depicted the song as one of "Eilish's best tracks to date" and saw it as "a darker duet more akin to the track's lyrics about literally setting an ex's car on fire".[16] The staff of NME explained that "the end product sees the pair feed off of each other's bolshy attitude as they trade verses in this hard-hitting reimagining of 'Watch', a restrained moment from 'Don't Smile at Me'".[17] Nicole Almeida of Atwood Magazine dubbed the song as "stronger" and "bolder" than "Watch", but still "retain[s] the same vulnerability the original lyrics offer".[5] Commercially, "&Burn" has been certified gold in the United States and Australia by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), respectively.[18][19] To promote "&Burn", Eilish performed it live at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with Staples in April 2019.[20]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the Don't Smile at Me reissue.[9]

Charts
2019 year-end chart performance for "&Burn"
Chart (2019) Position
Portugal (AFP)[21] 1254

Certifications
Certifications and sales for "&Burn"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[18] Gold 35,000
United States (RIAA)[19] Gold 500,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Renshaw, David (December 14, 2017). "Billie Eilish shares '&Burn,' a gloomy collaboration with Vince Staples". The Fader. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  2. Skelton, Eric (December 14, 2017). "Billie Eilish and Vince Staples Collaborate on '&Burn'". Complex. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  3. Howard, Lindsay (December 14, 2017). "Hear Billie Eilish's Simmering New Track '&Burn,' Featuring Vince Staples". Variance. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  4. Spruch, Kristen (December 12, 2019). "10 Billie Eilish Songs Every Superfan Should Know". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  5. Almedia, Nicole (February 16, 2018). "Music You Should Know: Confidence & Boldness on Billie Eilish's Debut EP 'Don't Smile at Me'". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  6. Hussein, Wandera (December 15, 2017). "Billie Eilish Unveils New Track 'Burn' Featuring Vince Staples, Whose Verse Is 'So Mf Good'". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  7. Kaye, Ben (December 15, 2017). "Vince Staples joins Billie Eilish on new single '&burn': Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  8. Birnstengel, Grace (December 14, 2017). "Billie Eilish – '&Burn' (Feat. Vince Staples)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  9. Don't Smile at Me (booklet). Darkroom/Interscope Records. 2019. B0030752-02.
  10. Citations regarding the digital release of "&Burn" in various countries:
  11. "dont smile at me". Billie Eilish. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  12. Rossignol, Derrick (December 15, 2017). "15-Year-Old Billie Eilish Gets A Vince Staples Feature On Her Alluring Single '&burn'". Uproxx. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  13. Ahlgrim, Callie (March 18, 2020). "Every Billie Eilish song, ranked". Insider. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  14. Minsker, Evan (December 14, 2017). "Billie Eilish Enlists Vince Staples for New Song '&burn': Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  15. Murray, Robin (December 15, 2017). "Billie Eilish Pairs Up With Vince Staples On '&burn'". Clash. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  16. Kent, Matthew (December 15, 2017). "Billie Eilish teams up Vince Staples for the sizzling '&burn'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  17. "Every single Billie Eilish song ranked in order of greatness". NME. July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  18. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  19. "American single certifications – Billie Eilish – &Burn". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 4, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  20. Powers, Shad (December 10, 2019). "Second time around even better for Billie Eilish as Weekend 2 set is more powerful, raw". The Desert Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  21. "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
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