"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, it is the first single from his debut solo album, '' Flamingo''. A video for the single was released on July 8, 2010, and features actress

Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...

Release and promotion

"Crossfire" first appeared when it was leaked online on June 11, 2010. On June 14, it was premiered in the UK on the Zane Lowe Show on BBC Radio 1, where Flowers also gave an interview. A 10-inch picture disc vinyl was released in the US on August 3, 2010, featuring an acoustic version of " On the Floor" titled "On the Floor 2.0" on the B-side. On the week of the August 23 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 No. 1 on the '' NME'' chart and remained so through September 27 for several weeks.

Critical reception

The song received mixed reviews from critics. '' Rolling Stone'' gave the song two-and-a-half stars, saying it "sounds like a Killers B side — standard-issue

Boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

-meets-

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

dance rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and dis ...

, with Flowers serving up so much meteorological-metaphor fury, you'll want to call FEMA." Of the track, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' 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''." '' 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." Flowers said that it is his son Ammon's favorite song on the album.

Music video

The music video premiered on July 8, 2010 on Vevo. It was directed by Australian film director Nash Edgerton and stars actress

. The video features various scenes involving Flowers being tied up as a hostage. Theron kills several ninjas before rescuing him each time. The final scene shows Theron putting her arm around Flowers, while driving away with him in a pick-up truck. In an interview with

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

, Flowers revealed that Theron is a fan of The Killers, and that she was interested in being a part of the video. She also led him to Edgerton, who was ultimately chosen to direct the video.

Track listings

iTunes download #"Crossfire" – 4:17 Promo CD #"Crossfire" (radio version) – 3:59 #"Crossfire" (album version) – 4:17 #"Crossfire" (instrumental) – 4:17 10-inch picture disc #"Crossfire" – 4:17 #"On the Floor 2.0" – 3:10

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

Official YouTube music video
{{Authority control 2010 debut singles 2010 songs Brandon Flowers songs Gender role reversal Island Records singles Song recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer) Songs written by Brandon Flowers