Burning Down

Album

Single

Label

Atlantic Records

Genre

Dance-pop

Composer(s)

Adam Yaron;Alex Warren;Cal Shapiro;Mags Duval

Entered Chart

May 10, 2024

Peak Date

May 17, 2024

Released

September 20, 2024

On "Burning Down," Alex Warren serves up a bracing mix of betrayal, disillusionment, and the burning need to escape something toxic before it consumes you whole. Throughout the track, Warren uses the image of a burning house as a metaphor - a fiery symbol for a relationship or environment that's gone so irreversibly wrong that there's only one thing left to do: watch it burn and get out while you still can. "For much of my life, I struggled with prioritizing my own needs and well-being over others, and eventually, this led to people taking advantage of my kindness," Warren said. "It took me a long time to recognize the dynamics at play, and I believe many others who've endured toxic relationships can relate to this experience." You can almost see the light bulb moment - the point where he realized that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to walk away, even if it means lighting a match on the past. "Burning Down" is widely interpreted as being about Alex Warren's experiences in the Hype House. For those not up on the latest social media trends, the Hype House was a content creator collective - a TikTok-famous living situation in California where teenage influencers shared space and filmed viral videos. Warren co-founded the Hype House in December 2019 alongside other TikTok stars like Thomas Petrou, Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae. The group was so popular (and dramatic) that Netflix made a reality show about it in 2022 (although it only lasted one season). While the venture was a springboard for social media fame, it also brought a fair share of friction. Warren has spoken about his falling out with Petrou, and shared insights into the pressures and dynamics within the group. So, when he teased "Burning Down" via TikTok on August 31, 2024, saying the song was about a "content house," most fans took that to mean he was reflecting on his Hype House days. Released on September 20, 2024, "Burning Down" is the product of a collaboration between Warren, producer Adam Yaron, and singer-songwriters Cal Shapiro and Mags Duval. The same team also worked with him on his previous single, "Carry You Home." They crafted "Burning Down" in May 2024 during a highly productive week. "I've always let people walk all over me, and 'Burning Down' was a song I always wanted to write, but never had the balls to do it," Warren told Billboard. Alex Warren released a duet version of "Burning Down" with Joe Jonas on December 6, 2024. When Warren's label's A&R team reached out to Joe Jonas' people to gauge interest in a potential remix, Jonas said he was already a fan. "He told us he heard the song, had it saved to a playlist on Spotify and wanted to jump in and do it with us," Warren's manager Brian Sokolik recalled.

I guess you never know, someone you think you know
Can't see the knife when you're too close, too close
It scars forever when someone you called your friend
Shows you the truth can be so cold, so cold
I'd wipe the dirt off your name with the shirt off my back
I thought that you'd do the same, but you didn't do that (you)
Said I'm the one who's wanted for all the fires you started
You knew the house was burning down, I had to get out
You led your saints and sinners, and fed 'em lies for dinner
You knew the house was burning down, and look at you now
Ooh, ooh
And look at you now
How do you sleep at night? No one to hide behind
Betrayed every alibi you had, you had, you had
Every chance to make amends instead you got drunk on bitterness
And you still claim that you're innocent, it's sad that you
Said I'm the one who's wanted for all the fires you started
You knew the house was burning down, I had to get out
You led your saints and sinners, and fed 'em lies for dinner
You knew the house was burning down (and look at you now)
Used to tell me you'd pray for me
You were praying for my downfall
You were digging a grave for me
We were sharing the same four walls
Used to tell me you'd pray for me
You were praying for my downfall
You were digging a grave for me
We were sharing the same four walls, and you
Said I'm the one who's wanted for all the fires you started
You knew the house was burning down, I had to get out
You led your saints and sinners, and fed 'em lies for dinner
You knew the house was burning down
Used to tell me you'd pray for me (pray for me)
You were praying for my downfall (for my downfall)
You were digging a grave for me (for me)
We were sharing the same four walls
Used to tell me you'd pray for me
You were praying for my downfall
You were digging a grave for me
We were sharing the same four walls, and you