Burn (Papa Roach song)

"Burn" is a song by American rock band Papa Roach. It was released as a single on November 26, 2010 as the second single from the band’s album Time for Annihilation…On the Record and On the Road.^[1] The track was one of five new studio recordings on the album and marked the band’s first period releasing music after parting ways with Interscope/Geffen Records. Supported by an official music video and extensive promotion, "Burn" achieved notable success on rock music charts, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and other U.S. rock airplay and digital sales rankings.

The song was written and recorded during Papa Roach’s transition from their long-time label Interscope/Geffen Records to the independent imprint Eleven Seven Music.^[2] The band began working on new studio material in early 2010, with guitarist Jerry Horton noting that their goal was to merge "tasty musical parts" with emotionally direct lyrics.^[3] The song emerged as part of five newly written tracks intended to sit alongside nine live recordings on Time for Annihilation.

The single was heavily influenced by Papa Roach’s strained relationship with their former label. In multiple interviews, vocalist Jacoby Shaddix described "Burn" as a direct response to Geffen releasing the compilation ...To Be Loved: The Best of Papa Roach against the band’s wishes.^[4][5] Shaddix characterized the song as a reaction to "two-faced" industry behavior and stated the group felt financially mismanaged by the label. Several outlets, including Banana 101.5, reported that the track functioned as the band s middle finger to their former record company.^[6]

"Burn" was officially released as the album’s second single on November 26, 2010, following the success of "Kick in the Teeth".^[7] The song also featured prominently in Eleven Seven Music s promotional push for Papa Roach s first independent release.

The track is structured as a hard rock track built around distorted guitar riffs, dynamic loud–soft sections, and an anthemic chorus. Critics described the song as aggressive, rhythm-driven, and consistent with Papa Roach’s post-nu metal sound.^[8][9]

Lyrically, "Burn" centers on themes of betrayal, resentment, and emotional retaliation. The narrator confronts someone who has acted deceitfully and expresses a desire for accountability through metaphorical "burning", symbolizing consequences for dishonesty. Reviewers noted that the song’s focus on anger, confrontation, and catharsis aligns with the band’s broader thematic tendencies across their catalogue.^[10]

The official music video for "Burn" premiered on Blabbermouth.net on October 29, 2010, ahead of its official release as a single.^[11] A behind-the-scenes feature followed on December 10, 2010, confirming that the video was shot in downtown Los Angeles and directed by U.K. filmmaker Jesse Davey.^[12] The visual emphasized the song’s themes of emotional volatility and confrontation.

Shaddix described the track during filming as addressing "somebody that’s two-faced straight-up," reflecting the personal frustration that inspired its creation. The behind-the-scenes release also highlighted the band’s motivation for pairing the song with a visually intense promotional video.

"Burn" and its parent album received mixed reviews from music critics internationally.

Rock Sound described the track as "very good" within a collection of accessible, radio-ready rock songs.^[8] Blogcritics praised "Burn" as an intense and potent opening track, calling it one of the strongest new songs on Time for Annihilation.^[13] The Italian site Debaser also identified it as the best of the five new studio recordings.^[10]

Conversely, Consequence of Sound criticized the song as formulaic, describing it as offering “nothing new” and framing it as an example of the band s reliance on familiar pop rock and hard rock structures.^[9] WrittenInMusic similarly viewed the track as stylistically interchangeable with broader mainstream metal trends.^[14]

PopMatters highlighted "Burn" as one of the heavier additions to the album’s new material, describing it as rooted in themes of revenge and survival.^[15] Visions Magazine characterized it as a tightly produced, hook-driven single typical of Papa Roach’s established sound.^[16]

• Jacoby Shaddix – lead vocals, songwriter
• Jerry Horton – lead guitar, backing vocals, songwriter
• Tobin Esperance – bass guitar, backing vocals, songwriter
• Tony Palermo – drums, percussion, composer, lyrics
• Robert Gordon Huff – songwriter

• David Bendeth – producer, mixing engineer