Hear Kenny Chesney and Pink’s Wistful Duet ‘Setting the World on Fire’
Kenny Chesney has an impressive track record when it comes to duets: his collaborations with Uncle Kracker, the Wailers, Mac McAnally and Grace Potter all stormed the country charts. The star aimed to build on this tradition this week by recruiting Pink to join him for “Setting the World on Fire,” an urgent, head-over-heels single that debuted on radio Thursday evening.
“Setting the World on Fire” finds the two singers living on the edge — and loving every minute of it. The easy strum that opens the song is soon joined by heavy, distorted guitar riffs and an increasingly forceful beat, as Pink’s combustible vocals spiral upwards to meet Chesney’s typically laid-back delivery. “Setting the World on Fire” was written by Ross Copperman, Matt Jenkins and Josh Osborne
“To me, great songs are great songs regardless of genre — and the core of being alive is the same no matter where you are,” Chesney noted in a statement. “That rush of realizing there’s something going on here, you’re really clicking with someone, or even just one of those perfect nights with your friends — there’s no feeling like it.
“You can’t conjure a song that captures that feeling of being on the brink like this does,” the singer continued. “The lyrics are a perfect way of saying it, but when you feel that melody rise, the arrangement picking up momentum — it’s bigger than you are, and all you want to do is throw yourself against the night.”
Chesney found Pink’s vocal powers particularly well-suited to the pulse-quickening setting of the track. “She really makes that idea of giving into your heart, shouting out the window and whirling around in the middle of an abandoned street feel real,” he explained. “When Pink comes in, well, that just brings this to life.”
“Setting the World on Fire” will appear later this year on Chesney’s Cosmic Hallelujah album. The LP was originally scheduled to arrive this month, but the singer delayed the release to October 28th. The album’s lead single, “Noise,” peaked at Number 6 on the Country Airplay chart.