The reason this song has become so popular is, quite simply, because it’s just that good.
Caleb’s gorgeous gravelly vocals and some underrated bass work reward multiple listens, showing that the song’s excellence is more than just surface sheen. The band’s previous album campaign Because of the Times (2007) saw the band edge towards a slightly “bigger” arena rock style, and this inevitably resulted in Sex on Fire’s enormous room-filling chorus, with its infectious vocal hook and irresistible chord progression. From the moment the brooding guitar-lead intro kicks in, you know you’re in for a treat. In the UK, Sex on Fire has joined the likes of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now and The Killer’s Mr Brightside as a mainstream club essential, often being played soon before a club closes, letting revelers end the night on a joyous and rowdy sing-along. Still, no one can deny that this isn’t a massive rock anthem. It doesn’t seem hugely fair to punish a song for its success, and yet the ubiquity of Sex on Fire did lead to a slight backlash against the track. That Kings of Leon were able to craft such a distinctive and emotive sound for their debut single should have signaled to the musical establishment that these four guys from Nashville were not to be ignored. Molly’s Chambers’ catchy chorus is at the heart of the song, and this is complemented by a stirring and capable guitar solo during the bridge. Perhaps this was key to the band’s early success in the UK, where Southern Rock was not just seen as effortlessly cool, but a throwback to “real” rock music, whatever that may be, and an antidote to the US rap and hip-hop which dominated the charts at the time. Despite its relatively recent release – in 2003 – there’s something somehow classic about the track, with its Southern rock influences recalling a simpler time, an idea which was underlined by the band’s aesthetic back then, when every member of the band sported long unkempt hair while wearing leather or denim jackets.
The innuendo-laced lyrics, beautifully slurred by Caleb, almost take a back seat to the rolling, rousing rhythm guitar riffs.
Presumably inspired by a line from the Thin Lizzy song Whiskey in the Jar, Kings of Leon’s debut single is an excellent example of garage rock, a sub-genre from the 1960’s which, as the name suggests, emphasizes a simple, stripped back, “do it yourself” sound. Britain very much took the band to their hearts, and it wasn’t until the band’s fourth album Only by the Night (2008) that Kings of Leon received similar attention in their home country, going on to win three Grammy awards. The album was extremely well received in the UK but failed to make much of a splash in the US. The band released their first EP Holy Roller Novocaine in early 2003, to a decent enough reception, and released their first album Youth and Young Manhood later that year. Recruiting their younger brother and cousin, Kings of Leon – named after their grandfather Leon – was born. In 2002, the two older Followill brothers, Caleb and Nathan were receiving significant label interest and eventually signed to the label RCA, who suggested the two put a band together.
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