World on Fire (Nate Smith song)
{{Infobox song
| name = World on Fire
| cover = World on Fire (Nate Smith) Official Single Cover Art.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Nate Smith
| album = Nate Smith {{noitalic|(Deluxe)}}
| released = {{Start date|2023|6|5}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = * Country
| length = 3:11
| label = RCA Nashville
| writer = * Nate Smith
- Ashley Gorley
- Taylor Phillips
- Lindsay Rimes
| producer = Lindsay Rimes
| prev_title = Whiskey on You
| prev_year = 2022
| next_title = Bulletproof
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternate single cover
| type = Single
| cover = Nate Smith - World on Fire.png
| border =
| alt =
| caption = "Bonfire version" cover
}}
{{External music video
|{{YouTube|U1gT0P4Zp2U|"World on Fire"}}
}}
}}
"World on Fire" is a song by American country music singer Nate Smith, written by Smith, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips and Lindsay Rimes. It was released on June 5, 2023, as the second single from his self-titled debut album.
History
The idea for the song "World on Fire" came during a songwriting session among Nate Smith, Ashley Gorley, Lindsay Rimes, and Taylor Phillips. Phillips, who is also a volunteer firefighter, came up with the title "world on fire" after using that phrase to recount a fire at a construction site. He then thought the idea of a narrator's world being "on fire" would convey the end of a relationship. Smith, meanwhile, was inspired to build on the idea as he remembered the Camp Fire, a wildfire that affected his hometown of Paradise, California, in 2018. Rimes then recorded the demo, which featured multiple guitar tracks from him and guitarist Sol Philcox-Littlefield; Rimes told Billboard that his inspiration for the arrangement was the work of the Foo Fighters. As Smith had already submitted the master tracks for his album to his label, he could not add the song without overriding pre-sale sales figures. As a result, the label chose to issue a deluxe version, with "World on Fire" and five other tracks, which would be released the same day as the regular version of the album.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/nate-smith-world-on-fire-makin-tracks-1235362475/ | title=Nate Smith's 'World on Fire' Finds a Silver Lining in Personal Tragedy | magazine=Billboard | date=June 27, 2023 | access-date=November 25, 2023 | author=Tom Roland}}
Music video
Smith released a music video on July 12, 2023, directed by Chris Ashlee. The video features Smith singing the song as a fire occurs around him.{{cite web | url=https://countrynow.com/watch-nate-smith-unleashes-fiery-new-music-video-world-on-fire/ | title=Watch: Nate Smith Unleashes Fiery New Music Video 'World On Fire' | website=Country Now | date=July 13, 2023 | access-date=November 25, 2023 | author=Lexi Liby}}
As of March 2025, the music video for "World on Fire" has over 13 million views on YouTube.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1gT0P4Zp2U|title=Nate Smith - World on Fire (Official Music Video)|publisher=YouTube|author=Nate Smith|date=July 12, 2023|access-date=March 11, 2025}}
Chart performance
The song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Smith's second number-one hit on the Country Airplay chart for the week of December 23, 2023, spending ten consecutive weeks there until it was dethroned by Warren Zeiders's "Pretty Little Poison" on the chart dated March 2, 2024. The song's ten-week run at the top tied a record with Morgan Wallen's 2022 single "You Proof" for the longest-running number one single in the chart's history.{{cite magazine |last=Asker |first=Jim |date=February 16, 2024 |title='World' Record: Nate Smith Ties for Longest-Leading No. 1 in Country Airplay Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/nate-smith-world-on-fire-number-1-country-airplay-chart-10-weeks-1235609757/ |work=Billboard}} In December 2024, Billboard Year-End declared "World on Fire" the number 1 song of the year on Country Airplay.
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for "World on Fire" ! scope="col"| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/hot-country-songs|title=Year-End Charts: Hot Country Songs (2023)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 11, 2025}}
| 67 |
|---|
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/hot-100-songs/|title=Year-End Charts: Hot 100 Songs (2024)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 11, 2025}}
| 90 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/hot-country-songs/| title=Year-End Charts: Hot Country Songs (2024)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 11, 2025}}
| 32 |
| scope="row"| US Country Airplay (Billboard){{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2024/country-airplay-songs/| title=Year-End Charts: Hot Country Songs (2024)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 11, 2025}}
| 1 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "World on Fire"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Nate Smith|title=World on Fire|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2023|certyear=2024|access-date=January 24, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Nate Smith|title=World on Fire|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2023|certyear=2024|access-date=April 16, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}