Hot Like Fire
Encyclopedia
"Hot Like Fire" is a song written by Missy Elliott
and Tim "Timbaland" Mosley
for Aaliyah
's second album, One in a Million (see 1996 in music
). It is the fifth release overall and the official fourth single
in North America
(see 1997 in music
). The single was released as a hip hop soul remix
produced by Timbaland, titled as "Timbaland's Groove Mix". It samples Art of Noise' "Moments In Love" and Suzanne Vega
's "Tom's Diner
".
The song is about a relationship between a female and a male; Aaliyah sings that she wants her boyfriend
to wait "a little while longer" before having sex, but when she is ready she will "take him higher". Aaliyah performs most of the song, while Timbaland contributes ad libs and Missy Elliott chants "I'ma make it hot like fire" as the outro. The song was considered a flop because it was not picked up by many radio stations barely making the Top 40 on the R&B Airplay chart and not making The Rhythmic Top 40 altogether.
"Hot Like Fire" was fairly successful in the UK, charting as part of a double A-side
single with "The One I Gave My Heart To", which peaked at #30 on the UK Singles Chart
. Indie rock band The xx
covered the song on their debut album
as a bonus track
. The song was released on September 16, 1997 as a double A-side with "The One I Gave My Heart To
."
1997 sponsored by New York City
radio station Hot 97 on August 10, 1997 http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/10056/. She also performed the song on the short-lived talk show, VIBE.
was directed by Lance "Un" Rivera. Fatima Robinson
directed the choreography. Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Playa, Changing Faces, Lil' Kim
, and Junior M.A.F.I.A.
made cameos in the video. The video was edited to "Hot Like Fire (Timbaland's Groove Mix)".
The video starts with a large number of people in an urban neighborhood on a very hot summer day. Aaliyah drives a red car with a fire engine
. The setting quickly changes to night as Aaliyah gets out of the car to perform the chorus on a steamy stage with sparks
in the background. During the second verse, Aaliyah is seen dancing with the crowd. Aaliyah returns to the stage with the dancers to perform the chorus again. Timbaland performs his ad libs and Missy Elliott performs her outro.
U.S. double A-side CD single
U.S. CD maxi single
U.S. promo 12-inch single
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Tim "Timbaland" Mosley
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
for Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
's second album, One in a Million (see 1996 in music
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
). It is the fifth release overall and the official fourth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(see 1997 in music
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
). The single was released as a hip hop soul remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
produced by Timbaland, titled as "Timbaland's Groove Mix". It samples Art of Noise' "Moments In Love" and Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
's "Tom's Diner
Tom's Diner
"Tom's Diner" is an a cappella pop song written in 1981 by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine. When first featured on one of her own studio albums, it appeared as the first track of her Solitude Standing...
".
The song is about a relationship between a female and a male; Aaliyah sings that she wants her boyfriend
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed relationships, where other titles A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed...
to wait "a little while longer" before having sex, but when she is ready she will "take him higher". Aaliyah performs most of the song, while Timbaland contributes ad libs and Missy Elliott chants "I'ma make it hot like fire" as the outro. The song was considered a flop because it was not picked up by many radio stations barely making the Top 40 on the R&B Airplay chart and not making The Rhythmic Top 40 altogether.
"Hot Like Fire" was fairly successful in the UK, charting as part of a double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
single with "The One I Gave My Heart To", which peaked at #30 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Indie rock band The xx
The xx
The xx are an English indie pop band, formed in London in 2005. The band's members met while studying at Elliott School, the same school that produced Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. They became a trio when their second guitarist and keyboardist, Baria Qureshi, departed in late 2009. In September...
covered the song on their debut album
Xx (album)
xx is the debut studio album by English indie pop group The xx, released on 17 August 2009 by Young Turks. The self-produced album was recorded at XL Studios in West London between December 2008 and April 2009. The album was awarded the 2010 Mercury Prize...
as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
. The song was released on September 16, 1997 as a double A-side with "The One I Gave My Heart To
The One I Gave My Heart To
"The One I Gave My Heart To" is a R&B/pop song by American singer Aaliyah. The song is the sixth and final single from Aaliyah's second album One in a Million. The song was written by Diane Warren and the album version was produced by Daryl Simmons, while the single version was produced by Guy Roche...
."
Promotion
Aaliyah performed "Hot Like Fire" at Summer JamSummer Jam
Summer Jam is the annual hip-hop fest held in East Rutherford, New Jersey and sponsored by New York based radio station Hot 97FM. Normally held in June, the concert features the most popular acts that hip-hop and R&B have to offer in a particular year....
1997 sponsored by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
radio station Hot 97 on August 10, 1997 http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/10056/. She also performed the song on the short-lived talk show, VIBE.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Lance "Un" Rivera. Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson is a noted music video director and choreographer. Robinson's choreography résumé includes many Aaliyah's Videos, and Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair"...
directed the choreography. Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Playa, Changing Faces, Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, and Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
made cameos in the video. The video was edited to "Hot Like Fire (Timbaland's Groove Mix)".
The video starts with a large number of people in an urban neighborhood on a very hot summer day. Aaliyah drives a red car with a fire engine
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
. The setting quickly changes to night as Aaliyah gets out of the car to perform the chorus on a steamy stage with sparks
Electrostatic discharge
Electrostatic discharge is a serious issue in solid state electronics, such as integrated circuits. Integrated circuits are made from semiconductor materials such as silicon and insulating materials such as silicon dioxide...
in the background. During the second verse, Aaliyah is seen dancing with the crowd. Aaliyah returns to the stage with the dancers to perform the chorus again. Timbaland performs his ad libs and Missy Elliott performs her outro.
Track listing
UK 12-inch single- "The One I Gave My Heart To" (radio mix) – 3:53
- "Hot Like Fire" (album version) – 4:23
- "Hot Like Fire" (Timbaland's Groove mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (Feel My Horns mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (instrumental) – 4:19
U.S. double A-side CD single
- "The One I Gave My Heart To" (radio mix) - 3:53
- "Hot Like Fire" (album version) - 4:22
U.S. CD maxi single
- "The One I Gave My Heart To" (radio mix) – 3:53
- "Hot Like Fire" (album version) – 4:23
- "Hot Like Fire" (Timbaland's Groove mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (Feel My Horns mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (instrumental) – 4:19
- "Death of a Playa" (featuring Rashad)
U.S. promo 12-inch single
- "Hot Like Fire" (album version) – 4:23
- "Hot Like Fire" (Timbaland's Groove mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (Feel My Horns mix) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (instrumental) – 4:19
- "Hot Like Fire" (Timbaland's Groove mix instrumental) – 4:35
- "Hot Like Fire" (Feel My Horns mix instrumental) – 4:35
Charts
| Chart (1997/1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Top 75 Singles UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart is the airplay component chart of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It is not the R&B subset of The Hot 100 Airplay, but rather a separate panel of R&B stations in urban markets used for the R&B/Hip-Hop chart... |
31 |