After weeks of teasing fans with release on social media, Griff and Sigrid released their collaboration “Head on Fire.” The two pop girls became friends during the pandemic, bonding over their similar career trajectories and proclivities for writing empowering pop songs.
“Head on Fire” is a pop anthem about obsession at first sight. When you meet a new crush and suddenly they take over all your waking thoughts.
The track was written by the two singers and Joe Rubel. Sigrid opens the song over powerful drums and twitching digital synths. Dramatic piano chords and distant, almost ghostly background vocalizations complete the atmosphere through the verse and pre chorus as the song builds to the chorus.
It’s that moment when the chorus hits that makes “Head on Fire” addictive. In the middle of the first line of the hook the whole track drops out, both emphasizing the message of the lyrics and the voluminous space the track takes up. It’s a short pause but when the sound comes back less than a second later it feels like a flood. They pull the trick again just a couple lines later, and throughout the song, but the effect remains the same. It’s this release that gives even more power to the song.
Griff and Sigrid both have unique control over their voices and they manage to let each other shine and blend together in interesting ways. They create walls of their voices in stunning, gospel like harmonies in the post chorus. They also sneak impressive ad lib runs into the background of the last chorus for the attentive listeners.
The release was accompanied by a music video featuring the two having a ball in an empty theater space. The two play dress up (fitting since they met at London Fashion Week), dance with mannequins, climb the scaffolding, and make a mess with fire extinguishers. They, of course, set a couple fires as well.
