Recorded 2015 Length 3:45 | Genre Pop
synthpop Label Hollywood | |
Released April 29, 2016 (2016-04-29) Format Digital download
streaming | ||
"Smoke and Fire" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released on April 29, 2016, selling 6,012 digital copies in its first week. While most thought the song expressed her break-up with Bradley Steven Perry, Sabrina stated the song was "a break-up song but it doesn't make you feel depressed. It actually makes you feel like you're the boss, and it makes you feel like you're a strong, confident woman or man and it just kind of can show everyone that you're not alone". She says that in the studio, she and her producers "just started jamming and the words just fell into place". The song expresses the feelings one experiences after a relationship has ended.
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Background and composition
"Smoke and Fire" is a song with elements of pop and synthpop. Carpenter stated she wrote the song in 2015 and was the first story she had been waiting to tell on her then-upcoming album which had no name at the time. The album showcases Carpenter's new sound but, as one critic noted, it seemed that she was still trying to find a "permanent sound to stick with." Carpenter stated she was still experimenting with new sounds of music and was writing a lot more. She said she had learned to use the internet more, for example she used Rhyme Zone to write "Smoke and Fire" along with other songs on her second album.
When asked what influenced her to write "Smoke and Fire," Carpenter said that she thought it was just "natural maturity." She added that the style of music on her previous album, Eyes Wide Open, gave her the ability to be more free with what she eventually would fall into for future albums because she believed music was all about evolving, changing, growing up, and trying different things. She doesn't see "Smoke and Fire" as an extremely personal song, but rather that she hopes will uplift anyone who listens to it. She felt as though she took the inspiration from a subject that was not good and turned it into something that was. She says she chose this as the expected first single because she felt that it was a great transition and development from Eyes Wide Open. She helped choose the sound for the song and co-wrote it with Ido Zmishlany. She states that there are lots of elements in "Smoke and Fire" that set the sound and tone for the rest of the then-upcoming album that was being set to released later this year.
While fans had high hopes for "Smoke and Fire" to be on Carpenter's upcoming album, Sabrina released "On Purpose" in late July, which was revealed to be the lead single for her second album. In September, she announced the album's name, Evolution, as well as its track list and album cover. Fans noticed that "Smoke and Fire" was not a part of the track list, and Sabrina later confirmed on Twitter to one fan (who asked why "Smoke and Fire" was not on the album) that the "evolution" came after "Smoke and Fire".
Music video
The music video was released on March 11, 2016, on Vevo and YouTube. According to Carpenter, the video "show[s] flashback memories of an innocent love story in the midst of post breakup beauty and heartbreak." In one of the video's flashbacks, Carpenter's boyfriend visits her during a dance class. He tries to get her to come along with him, but she ignores him and continues dancing. Later, they leave the dance class together. As they walk down the street, Carpenter's boyfriend gives her a necklace. Throughout the video, Carpenter fiddles with the necklace. The video ends with her throwing the necklace in the trash.