Kings of Leon discuss feelings on Sex On Fire amid billion streams milestone

10 May 2024, 14:17 | Updated: 10 May 2024, 14:22

Kings of Leon on Sex on Fire's billion streams milestone

By Jenny Mensah

Caleb and Jared Followill spoke to Radio X's Dan O'Connell about their single surpassing a billion streams and how they way they view the song has changed over the years.

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Kings of Leon have opened up about their sometimes uneasy relationship with Sex on Fire.

Earlier this year, the 2008 single hit the headlines for surpassing the billion streams mark and asked if it's something they ever imagined, they told Radio X's Dan O'Connell they were "blown away" by the achievement.

"Sex on Fire is a weird one," said bassist Jared. "It's almost grown in a cult fashion since it came out. It was pretty big and I think Use Somebody was even bigger and now Sex on Fire is the biggest one and we didn't expect it and we still are blown away."

Frontman Caleb admitted: "It's one of those songs that we used to kind of... you don't dread playing it, but it's one of those things where you would just see how much bigger of a response it got to everything else and it made you feel bad for the rest of [the set].

"But then you get to a point of pride where you go, 'Man we did this. We wrote this song. Let's go out there and enjoy it."

He added: "We always know we have it in our pocket and between that and Use Somebody, I don't think there are many places in the world where we couldn't break into those songs and people wouldn't be like, 'Oh I know this song!'"

Kings of Leon with their Sex On Fire single inset. Picture: Press

When it comes to achieving more bucket list moments, the band added that there were "always new boxes" to tick.

"There's always new boxes," said Jared. "I mean, I think that we all probably have lofty goals, but without ignoring the fact that we've hit a lot of awesome milestones, I think that respect is a big one and creating a legacy.

"Going down as a band that was important and meant something and did good things."

Quizzed if they see themselves becoming like The Rolling Stones or U2, the bassist admitted: "That's the dream," before his brother said: "I feel like you have to be at a certain level for that to make sense."

The frontman added: "To be playing shows at their age in a small venue doesn't make as much sense. [To be] at the level where you're playing those big places and people are coming out just to celebrate your catalogue... I don't know.

"I feel like we talk about it a lot. Like, 'When is the last bit of it?' And every time we think it's getting close, when it gets here, we're like, 'Oh no, not yet. Let's keep going.'

Caleb previously told Radio X that he's the most proud of the band's new record and doesn't care if it's a commercial success or not.

"Well this is the most fulfilled I've ever been, I would say," he told Dan O'Connell earlier this year. "When we finished the record and people started to hear little bits and pieces of it and we saw excitement and the things that come along with that... I told the guys and I told my wife and everyone, 'If this album has no success, or it's massively successful, I said it doesn't make a difference.' And I meant it and I still mean it."

The Nashville rocker concluded: It's something I can stand behind and be proud of forever."

Caleb Followill talks "fulfilling" new Kings Of Leon album

Kings of Leon's Can We Please Have Fun tracklist:

Ballerina Radio
Rainbow Ball
Nowhere To Run
Mustang
Actual Daydream
Split Screen
Don’t Stop The Bleeding
Nothing To Do
Television
Hesitation Generation
Ease Me On
Seen

The band are also set to embark on a huge string of dates on this side of the pond, which includes a headline show at BST Hyde Park on Sunday 30th June.