"Girl on Fire" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

for her fifth studio album of the same name. Keys co-wrote and co-produced the R&B

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

with

Jeff Bhasker Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...

and

Salaam Remi Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...

. The song contains an interpolation of the drums from the 1980 song " The Big Beat" by American rock guitarist Billy Squier, who received a writing credit on "Girl on Fire". Released on September 4, 2012, as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the album, "Girl on Fire" is Keys' first release under

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

following the closure of

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...

, after a reorganization at

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

. "Girl on Fire" was inspired by Keys' giving birth to her son Egypt and marriage to husband

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

. Keys recorded a three-track suite for the song, consisting of the main version in addition to two remixes. The first remix, titled "Inferno", adds two new verses from American hip hop artist

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...

, whilst the second mix titled "Bluelight" strips back the drums and piano leaving a sparse bass-led production and re-recorded "smokey" vocals. "Girl on Fire" opened to extremely positive reviews from critics, with many praising Keys' vocals and the song's production. Keys performed "Girl on Fire" for the first time at the

2012 MTV Video Music Awards The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by Kevin Hart, took place on Thursday, September 6, 2012, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The awards were broadcast from the Staples Center arena at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles. ...

on September 6, 2012, where she was joined by Minaj and American gymnastics gold-medalist

Gabby Douglas Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2012 Olympic all around champion and the 2015 World all-around silver medalist. She was a member of the gold-winning teams at both the 2 ...

. The song has been

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Background and release

"Girl on Fire" is the

and title track from Alicia Keys' fifth studio album, '' Girl on Fire'' (2012). Alongside the main single, Keys recorded two other versions: the Inferno Remix which features new verses from

and a Bluelight Remix which strips back the vocals and production from the main single. Gerrick Kennedy from the '' LA Times'' spoke of the multiple versions of the song commenting that the main single was most likely made for

pop radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

, but noted that Minaj's verses on the Inferno Remix would probably get noticed more. On being able to premiere her new song at the

, Keys said,

Music and lyrics

Main version

"Girl on Fire" is a

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

song written by Keys,

and American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

guitarist Billy Squier. Squier earns a writing credit for the inclusion of an interpolation of the drums from his 1980 song " The Big Beat". Composed on the key of A major, "Girl on Fire" uses

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...

and is set to a "heavy beat" at a tempo of 93

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...

. Keys' vocals range in the song over an octave from a low note of C₄ up to a high note of E₅. On the main single, Keys opens the songs with the lyrics "She got both feet on the ground and she's burning it down. She got her head in the clouds and she's not backing down. This girl is on fire!" Keys' lyrics centre around toasting the "achievements of women everywhere", particularly with the

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

"She's just a girl and she's on fire", which according to MTV's Rob Markman is delivered with a "calming-yet-commanding wail". Markman also spoke of the pace of the song, describing it as "pulsating". '' LA Times'' Gerrick Kennedy expanded further describing the songs components as "a fierce battlecry over a fast-building simplistic hook". Critics likened "Girl on Fire" to Keys' previous singles " No One" (2007) and "

Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released as the second single (third in the UK) from her fourth studio album, '' The Element of Freedom'' (2009). The ballad has been hailed by many mus ...

" (2009). Throwing "

If I Ain't Got You "If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the ...

" (2004) into the list of comparisons, Erin Thompson from ''

Seattle Weekly The ''Seattle Weekly'' is an alternative biweekly distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as ''The Weekly.'' Its first issue was published on March 31, 1976. The newspaper ...

'' said "Girl on Fire" compares to previous Keys' ballads with its "quiet, unassuming verses leading into big, empathic choruses."

Inferno version

The Inferno version features

, who wrote and

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

ped two new verses on the song. Minaj's vocals were recorded at Chalice Recording Studios in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The inferno remix uses the same production and sample as the main single however, the first two verses of the song were described as "understated" by Carl Williot from

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

, with Minaj leading the remix with a new rap verse. She raps "Took me on the balcony, telling me to jump with her/ Yeah I'm in the ghost but I ain't doing stunts with her/ I ain't trying to be that, haters want to see that/ But I got 'em aggy, cause I win the gold like Gabby". Minaj also talks about being haunted by the ghost of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

. In the second verse from Minaj, the subject matter switches to her fans the "Barbz" with the lyric "And to my core fans, keep reppin' me/ Do it till the death of me/ 'X' in the box, cause ain't nobody checkin' me." Markman noted that in this verse, Minaj switched her delivery style to "more of a whisper". ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

''s Kyle Anderson described Minaj's verses as "more prominent" than Keys' and noted that the production was influenced by garage music.

Bluelight version

By contrast, the Bluelight version features a slower production and re-recorded vocals. According to the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' Gerrick Kennedy, the Bluelight remix has a production based on "dripping" synths and "light"

chord progressions In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. Kennedy particularly noted a difference in Keys' vocal tone, describing it as "smokey" and comparable to that see on Keys' 2009 single "

Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009), that features uncredited background vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, although he is credited on the of ...

". Mark Edward Nero from

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

also compared the "Girl on Fire" to Keys' single "

You Don't Know My Name "You Don't Know My Name" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album '' The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). It was written by Keys, Kanye West and Harold Lilly, and produced by Keys and West. The song ...

" (2003).

's Carl Williot described how on this stripped version, "gone is Minaj, gone are the piano plinks and gone are the martial drums" completely changing the composition of the Bluelight version. Williot described how Keys' vocals take on a "more emotional performance" while the melody is replaced with "faint bass drops and a hushed drum machine".

Reception

Critical response

The song received universal acclaim. Jon Pareles from the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described "Girl on Fire" and the previously released song " New Day" as "booming anthems" and the complete opposite to ''Girl on Fire''s ballads which feature just Keys' vocals and a

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

. Rob Markman from MTV's ''RapFix'' blog described "Girl on Fire" as a "high-powered Alicia ballad" just like previous singles " No One" and "

". Agreeing with those comparisons was Gerrick Kennedy from the '' LA Times'' who went on to describe the main single as a "sweeping

with powerful vocals and an anthemic

". Then commenting on the remixes Kennedy said that on the Inferno remix, Minaj's "fluid verses" and an "added thump" might make that version of the song get noticed more, while it's the Bluelight version Kennedy called the "most intoxicating". On the latter Kennedy said "it would be unfortunate to overlook" due to Keys' sensual vocal tone. Kyle Anderson from ''

'' commented that the "hook was weak" and that Minaj verses were much stronger, supporting the song. By contrast, Charley Rogulewski from ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' said it was "Keys who stands out on the track. helays down powerful and flawless vocals over her trademark piano punches and a trash-can-lid beat." Erin Thompson from ''

'' praised Keys' on the song for making the "often cheesy" girlpower theme seem "genuinely stirring and elegant", commenting that "only Alicia Keys could do it". Describing the chorus of the song, Thompson said "it booms with thudding drums as her drawn-out notes soar on top. It's heavily bombastic, but the drama of it makes it memorable, and the hooky melody is beautiful and exhilarating. Keys seems to have to set out to make a statement song about power, and it's undeniable that she's succeeded in that". Speaking of the song's inferno remix,

's Carl Williot agreed with previous reviewers particularly noting Keys' vocals, using term "trademark soaring vocals" to describe Keys' performance on the song.

Commercial performance

In the chart week ending September 7, 2012, "Girl on Fire" debuted on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart at number 67. This in part was driven by 2.1 million radio impressions according to

Nielsen BDS Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...

. The song rose to number seven in its fifth week, becoming her fifteenth Top 10 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 2 behind Rihanna's

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, bu ...

. It has peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and has sold 2 million copies in the United States as of February 13, 2013. The song has also become an international hit for Keys, reaching number one in Austria, South Korea, and Slovakia, the Top 5 in the Netherlands, Brazil, Israel, Denmark, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the United Kingdom, and a Top 20 hit in the US, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Spain. The song was included in a popular Brazilian soap opera, ''Salve Jorge'', which contributed for the success in Brazil. It was also featured in the credits for '' Borderlands 3''.

Music videos

The music video for the song, premiered on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

's ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...

'' on October 19, 2012, and was directed by

Sophie Muller Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 '' Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's so ...

. The video portrays Keys as a working mother caring for her kids and an elderly mother, has received wide acclaim from critics. Christopher Farley from the ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' was of the opinion that Keys is making 21st century domesticity sexy, and is "an intriguing move for a pop-soul star". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine says Keys "applies glamour and magic to household chores", and made reference to ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'' being an inspiration in the videos magic scene. The video for the Inferno remix was uploaded to VEVO on November 2, 2012. It is much the same video as the main version but with Minaj's scenes pasted in the video. With Minaj's first verse, she appears in front of a red and black wall wearing a black and white outfit. In Minaj's second verse, we see her singing on a TV screen wearing a black outfit and having a starry night sky behind her. A completely new video was released for Japan in January 2013.

Live performances

Keys performed "Girl on Fire" for the first time at

on September 6, 2012, at the Staples Center in

. She was joined by

who rapped her verses from the Inferno Remix of the song as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics gymnastics gold medalist

who performed during the second half of the song. The Team USA female gymnasts performed a brief routine while Keys was introduced to the stage. Keys was dressed in a "

pewter Pewter () is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver. Copper and antimony (and in antiquity lead) act as hardeners, but lead may be used in lower grades ...

-colored top and black form-fitting tights." Minaj was dressed in a "black hooded top and bright blonde wig". During the performance, Keys began stood up at a

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

before walking down the steps to the main stage. It was only after Minaj rapped the line "But I got 'em aggy, cause I win the gold like Gabby", Douglas appear on stage with a brief routine containing cartwheels, jumps and back hand springs. ''American Superstar'' magazine described the performance a "true TV performance" thanks in part Minaj and Douglas, as well as "Keys hit

ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...

many high notes — and then some". The magazine concluded that the performance was "sexy, yet intimate".

Jack Antonoff Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and is the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun. He was pr ...

, guitarist of indie band

fun. Fun (stylized as fun.) is an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consists of Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train and Bleachers), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Nate Ruess (then-former lead singer of the Format). Fun fo ...

, said he thought Keys' performance could be "that performance that people will be talking about for 10 years". VH1's Sabrina Rojas Weiss agreed, stating that it was "just due to Keys' soaring vocals" but also Douglas' surprise appearance. "Girl on Fire" was performed on ITunes Festival on September 28, 2012. Keys performed the song live on the UK version of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' on November 18. On November 12, 2012, Alicia Performed New Music like "Girl On Fire" and another new song off her upcoming album titled "Brand New Me" + Our Favorites On ''

VH1 Storytellers ''Storytellers'' is a television music series produced by the VH1 network. In each episode, artists perform in front of a (mostly small and intimate) live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat ...

''. On November 11, 2012, Alicia took the

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...

stage by storm with a jaw-dropping performance of her new songs " New Day" and "Girl On Fire" On November 20 at 7:00 PM EST, Alicia exclusively performed on YouTube Live Stream with Google+ Hangout, also premiering her new album, " Girl on Fire" for the very first time. The "Girl On Fire" singer performed on November 26, 2012, on '' Good Morning America'', as well as November 29, 2012 on ''

The X Factor USA ''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...

''. On January 21, 2013, Keys sang the song with modified lyrics during President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

's Inaugural Balls, which celebrated his second term. On January 25, 2013, Keys did a medley of the song with "New Day" and "Brand New Me" at

Los Premios 40 Principales LOS40 Music Awards, formerly known as ''Premios 40 Principales'', is an award show by the musical radio station LOS40. It was created in 2006 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the worldwide station. History LOS40 is the ...

in Spain. The next day, she sang "Girl on Fire" in

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...

, France, during the

NRJ Music Award An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...

s. At the 2013 Grammy Awards, she performed the song and " Daylight" with Maroon 5. The song is performed on The Alicia + Keys World Tour.

Cover versions

On September 2012,

Misha B Misha Amber Bryan (born 10 February 1992), known by her stage name Misha B, is a British singer. She rose to notability as a finalist on the eighth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2011, where she finished in fourth place. Several sources have n ...

covered the track. One critic described the acoustic cover as that "awkward moment when someone sings your new song better than you". American drag queens

Willam Belli Willam Belli (, born June 30, 1982), mononymously known as Willam, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, reality television personality, author, and YouTuber. Willam came to prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of '' ...

Detox Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

and Vicky Vox released a parody of the song, titled "

Boy Is a Bottom "Boy Is a Bottom" is a song by American singer and drag queen Willam Belli, featuring Detox and Vicky Vox ( DWV). The song was released to coincide with the fifth season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. The original music video went viral. A ...

" on January 26, 2013. Willam Belli later on released a Spanish version of "Boy Is a Bottom", called "Es Una Pasiva", on January 13, 2015.

Track listings

* Digital Single #"Girl on Fire" (Main Version) – 3:44 *Digital Single – Inferno #"Girl on Fire" (Inferno Version; featuring

) – 4:30 *Digital Single – Bluelight #"Girl on Fire" (Bluelight Version) – 4:22 *Germany, Austria, and Switzerland CD single #"Girl on Fire" – 3:44 #"Girl on Fire" (Inferno Version; featuring Nicki Minaj) – 4:30 *Digital EP #"Girl on Fire" (Main Version) – 3:44 #"Girl on Fire" (Inferno Version; featuring Nicki Minaj) – 4:30 #"Girl on Fire" (Bluelight Version) – 4:22 #"Girl on Fire" (Instrumental) – 3:45

Credits and personnel

;Recording * Recorded at Jungle City Studios (NYC), Oven Studios (NYC) & The Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA) ;Personnel * Producer, writer, lead & background vocals – Alicia Keys * Producer, writer, CP-70 piano, organ – Jeff Bhasker * Producer, writer, drum-programming – Salaam Remi * Writer – Billy Squier * Big drums –

Dylan Wissing Dylan Wissing is an American drummer, percussionist and composer. Biography Wissing is best known for playing the "big drums" on Alicia Keys' Grammy Award-winning Number One Hit " Girl on Fire. Besides recording records with artists such as D ...

* Engineered and recorded by Ann Mincieli *Big drums engineered by Ken Lewis *Assistant engineers – Val Brathwaite, Ramon Rivas, Ghazi Hourani *Mixed by Manny Marroquin *Mix assistant – Chris Galland

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Radio adds and release history

References

External links

Girl On Fire (Bluelight Version) (Audio)
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

Girl On Fire (Inferno Version) (Audio)
on YouTube
Girl On Fire (Inferno Version) Music video
on YouTube {{authority control 2012 songs 2012 singles Alicia Keys songs Songs written by Alicia Keys Songs written by Jeff Bhasker Songs written by Salaam Remi Songs written by Billy Squier Song recordings produced by Alicia Keys Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker Song recordings produced by Salaam Remi RCA Records singles Music videos directed by Sophie Muller Number-one singles in Austria Contemporary R&B ballads Nicki Minaj songs Songs with feminist themes 2010s ballads