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	2010
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:17 (Album Version) 3:59 (Radio Edit)
Label	Island
Writer(s)	Brandon Flowers
Producer	Brendan O'Brien
Brandon Flowers singles chronology
"Crossfire" (2010) "Only the Young" (2010)

"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,^[1] it is the first single from his debut solo album, Flamingo.

Release and promotion

"Crossfire" first appeared when it was leaked online on June 11, 2010.^[2] On June 14, it was premiered in the UK on the Zane Lowe Show on BBC Radio 1, where Flowers also gave an interview.^[3] A 10" picture disc vinyl was released in the US on 3 August 2010, featuring an acoustic version of On the Floor titled 'On the Floor 2.0' on the B-side. On the week of the 23rd of August 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 has remained so through September 27.^[4][5]

The music video for "Crossfire" debuted on Flowers' Vevo YouTube channel on July 8, 2010.^[6] It was directed by Nash Edgerton and stars actress Charlize Theron, rescuing an abused Flowers from various fictional confrontational situations in slow motion.^[7] The video was nominated for NME's Best Music Video Of 2010. It has more than 10 million views as of October 2011.^[6]

Tracklist

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

Reception

Critical

Reviews for the single were tepid. 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.^[1]

Chart performance

Chart (2010)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[11]	46
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[12]	52
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[13]	3
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[14]	49
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15]	70
Denmark (Tracklisten)[16]	40
European Hot 100 Singles[17]	23
Germany (Media Control AG)[18]	34
Ireland (IRMA)[19]	4
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[20]	64
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21]	19
New Zealand (RIANZ)[22]	22
Scotland (The Official Charts Company)[23]	5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24]	35
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[25]	8
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[26]	23
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[26]	6
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[27]	7
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[26]	11

Influence

Fran Healy covered the song at The Sun's "Biz Sessions" in October 2010.^{[28][citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Scaggs, Austin (June 25, 2010). "The Killers' Brandon Flowers: Why I'm Going Solo". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/121456. Retrieved June 30, 2010. 
2. ^ Lee, Ann (15 June 2010). "Brandon Flowers debuts solo single Crossfire". Metro. http://www.metro.co.uk/music/831060-brandon-flowers-debuts-solo-single-crossfire-listen-here. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
3. ^ Murray, Robin (15 June 2010). "The Killers Singer Talks Solo Album". Clash. http://www.clashmusic.com/news/the-killers-singer-talk-solo-album. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
4. ^ http://www.nme.com/news/nme-chart/52867
5. ^ http://www.nme.com/news/nme-chart/53183
6. ^ ^{a b} http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhU12zC8fc
7. ^ "Brandon Flowers' Official Website". Brandon Flowers Music. http://www.brandonflowersmusic.com/. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
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. Hung Medien.
12. ^ "Brandon Flowers – Crossfire – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien.
13. ^ "Ultratop.be – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire" (in Dutch). Ultratip. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
14. ^ "Ultratop.be – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire" (in French). Ultratip. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
15. ^ "Brandon Flowers Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Brandon Flowers. Prometheus Global Media.
16. ^ "Danishcharts.com – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". Tracklisten. Hung Medien.
17. ^ "Brandon Flowers Album & Song Chart History" European Hot 100 for Brandon Flowers. Prometheus Global Media.
18. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
19. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association.
20. ^ "Brandon Flowers Album & Song Chart History" Japan Hot 100 for Brandon Flowers. Prometheus Global Media.
21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Brandon Flowers search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.
22. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Brandon Flowers – Crossfire". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
23. ^ "Archive Chart". Scottish Singles Top 40. The Official Charts Company.
24. ^ "Brandon Flowers – Crossfire – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
25. ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company.
26. ^ ^{a b c} "Brandon Flowers Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Brandon Flowers. Prometheus Global Media.
27. ^ "Brandon Flowers Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play for Brandon Flowers. Prometheus Global Media.
28. ^ The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/article307898.ece?channel=Biz+Sessions&clipID=1347_SUN48872.