{{About|the song|the concept|Structure fire|the song by the Lottery Winners|Anxiety Replacement Therapy {{!}} ''Anxiety Replacement Therapy''}} {{Infobox song | name = Burning House | cover = BurningHouse.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Cam | album = Untamed | released = {{Start date|2015|6|16}} | recorded = 2015 | studio = | venue = | genre = Country | length = {{Duration|m=3|s=51}} | label = Arista Nashville | writer = {{hlist|Camaron Ochs|Jeff Bhasker|Tyler Johnson<ref name="rs">{{cite web|url=http://roughstock.com/lyrics/2015/06/35755-cam-burning-house-lyrics/|title=Burning House|date=16 June 2015 |publisher=Roughstock|accessdate=July 26, 2015}}</ref>}} | producer = {{hlist|Jeff Bhasker|Tyler Johnson<ref name="liner">{{Cite AV media notes |title=Untamed |others=Cam |year=2015 |type=CD insert |publisher=Arista Nashville/RCA |id=88875-07049-2}}</ref>}} | prev_title = My Mistake | prev_year = 2015 | next_title = Mayday | next_year = 2016 }} "'''Burning House'''" is a song recorded by American country music singer Cam. It was released on June 16, 2015, as the second single from her second album ''Untamed''. Co-written by Cam along with Tyler Johnson and Jeff Bhasker, the song was inspired by a dream that she had about attempting to rescue her boyfriend from a house that was on fire.
"Burning House" peaked at No. 2 on both the ''Billboard'' Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. The song also charted on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 29. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 1,125,000 copies in the United States as of November 2016. It received similar chart success in Canada, peaking at No. 2 on the Country chart and No. 46 on the Canadian Hot 100. It was also certified Gold by Music Canada, denoting sales of over 40,000 units in that country. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Trey Fanjoy.
==History and content== According to ''Billboard'', the idea for the song came when Cam learned that an ex-boyfriend of hers would be at a party that she was attending, and that night, she had a dream that she was trying to rescue him from a burning house. She recounted the dream to producer Tyler Johnson via Skype, and he offered a guitar riff inspired by Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" while she came up with "two off-the-cuff opening lines that alternate between standard {{music|time|4|4}} time and {{music|time|3|4}} bars".<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/country-singer-cam-dreams-up-a-smoldering-ballad-with-burning-house-6633599/|title=Country Singer Cam Dreams Up a Smoldering Ballad With 'Burning House'|last=Roland|first=Tom|date=July 15, 2015|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref> When they recorded the song with producer Jeff Bhasker, Johnson played acoustic guitar on the recording, with a few notes spliced in from Cam's touring guitarist Doug Showalter due to Johnson having difficulty playing the last four notes of the riff. The song also features a piano, a muted bass, and a small string section arranged by Hamilton Ulmer.<ref name="billboard"/>
The song has a play length of 3 minutes and 51 seconds. It is composed in the key of A minor, and alternates between {{music|time|4|4}} and {{music|time|3|4}} time signatures. Cam's vocal ranges just over an octave, from G{{sub|3}} to A{{sub|4}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0153390|title='Burning House' sheet music|work=MusicNotes.com|date=14 September 2015 |accessdate=7 January 2018}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Critical=== Billy Dukes of ''Taste of Country'' praised Cam’s voice and the musical arrangement, saying “The newcomer’s performance is stark and personal. Her production team does a great job of not getting in the way.” He also said that “Cam is the one who wronged her man, not vice-versa. The other way around is an over-told story, but there’s nothing unoriginal” about "Burning House".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/cam-burning-house/|title=ToC Critic's Pick: Cam, 'Burning House' [Listen]|last=Dukes|first=Billy|date=June 17, 2015|work=Taste of Country|publisher=Taste of Country Network|accessdate=July 26, 2015}}</ref>
''Billboard'' ranked "Burning House" at {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 24 on its year-end list for 2015: "In one four-minute track, Cam manages to pack in frustration, despair, anguish, and torment. But what makes it beautiful is the wounded vocal melody set against gentle guitar strumming and understated strings. This is the rare quiet breakout hit of 2015."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/events/year-in-music-2015/6806155/billboard-25-best-songs-critics-picks|title=Billboard 25 Best Songs of 2015: Critics' Picks|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=December 17, 2015|accessdate=December 21, 2015}}</ref> At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, "Burning House" was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance but lost to Chris Stapleton's "Traveller".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.countryweekly.com/news/58th-annual-grammy-awards-winners|title=58th Annual Grammy Awards Winners|work=Country Weekly|publisher=American Media|date=February 15, 2016|accessdate=April 18, 2016}}</ref>
===Commercial=== The song was released after Cam performed it twice on ''The Bobby Bones Show'', and the song entered the Hot Country Songs chart at {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 43 on the song release (chart date June 27, 2015), selling 13,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2015/06/35805-country-musics-top-30-digital-singles-week-june-17-2015 |title= Country Music's Top 30 Digital Singles: Week of June 17, 2015 |last=Bjorke |first=Matt |date=June 17, 2015 |publisher=Roughstock}}</ref> It debuted at No. 48 on the Country Airplay chart dated for July 11, 2015.<ref name="billboard"/> It then entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at No. 94 on the chart date of August 1, 2015. The song later went on to peak at No. 2. on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay in January 2016.
The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 14, 2015, Platinum on December 16, 2015, and double Platinum on August 28, 2018.{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=single|title=Burning House|artist=Cam}} The song reached over a million in sales in the US in March 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2016/03/39966-top-30-digital-singles-chart-march-14-2016 |title=Top 30 Digital Singles Report: March 14, 2016 |first=Matt |last=Bjorke |date=March 12, 2016|publisher=Roughstock }}</ref> The song has sold 1,231,000 copies as of November 2019.<ref name="sales">{{cite web |last1=Bjorke |first1=Matt |title=Top 30 Digital Country Downloads Chart |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2019/11/44041-top-30-digital-country-downloads-chart |work=RoughStock |date=November 6, 2019 |accessdate=November 6, 2019}}</ref>
==Music video== The music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and premiered in October 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schillaci|first1=Sophie|title=EXCLUSIVE: Cam Literally Burns a House to the Ground in Stunning 'Burning House'. It begins with Cam standing outside of the burning house and which she decided to step inside where she looks around and there she sees a group of people while her boyfriend is standing right in front of her. Then, she walks up the stairs into a bedroom where Cam sees her boyfriend from earlier and hugs him ending the video with the look at the burning house. Video|url=https://www.etonline.com/news/174025_exclusive_cam_literally_burns_a_house_to_the_ground_stunning_burning_house_video/|accessdate=October 15, 2015|work=Entertainment Tonight|publisher=CBS Studios Inc.|date=October 14, 2015}}</ref>
==Personnel== From ''Untamed'' liner notes.<ref name="liner"/>
;Musical * Jeff Bhasker – piano, background vocals * Connie Ellisor – violin * Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor * Jim Grosjean – violin * Tyler Johnson – acoustic guitar, background vocals * Tony Lucido – bass guitar * Anders Mouridsen – electric guitar * Cam (as Camaron Ochs) – lead vocals, background vocals * Carole Rabinowitz – cello * Douglas Charles Showalter – acoustic guitar * Hamilton Ulmer – string arrangements
;Technical * Jeff Bhasker – production * Jon Castelli – mixing * Tyler Johnson – production, engineering * Lindsey Marias – vocal production * Melissa Mattey – string engineering * Ryan Nasci – mixing engineer * Ernesto Olivera – engineering * Alex Salibian – engineering
==Chart and certifications== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (2015–2016) !align="center"|Peak<br>position |- {{singlechart|Canada|46|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardcanadacountry|2|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|29|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|21|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardadultpopsongs|39|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardcountryairplay|2|artist=Cam}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|2|artist=Cam}} |}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !scope="col"|Chart (2015) !scope="col"|Position |- | US Country Airplay (''Billboard'')<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/country-airplay-songs | title=Best of 2015: Country Airplay | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | accessdate=December 9, 2015}}</ref> | align="center" | 58 |- | US Hot Country Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/hot-country-songs | title=Best of 2015: Hot Country Songs | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | accessdate=December 9, 2015}}</ref> | align="center" | 19 |- !scope="col"|Chart (2016) !scope="col"|Position |- | US Hot Country Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/hot-country-songs|title=Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2016|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=April 26, 2020}}</ref> | align="center" | 53 |}
===Certifications and sales=== {{Certification Table Top}} {{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Canada|artist=Cam|title=Burning House|award=Platinum|relyear=2015|certyear=2017|access-date=December 29, 2020}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|title=Burning House|artist=Cam|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2022|number=3|salesamount=3,000,000{{sup|{{double dagger}}}} / 1,231,000|salesref=<ref name="sales"/>|refname=RIAA}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}} {{col-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Cam}}
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Category:2015 singles Category:2015 songs Category:Country ballads Category:2010s ballads Category:Cam (singer) songs Category:Arista Nashville singles Category:Music videos directed by Trey Fanjoy Category:Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker Category:Songs written by Jeff Bhasker Category:Songs written by Tyler Johnson (musician) Category:Songs written by Cam (singer) Category:Songs about dreams