Fire in Bone

Background and release

The Killers announced "Fire in Bone" on social media on April 21, 2020. Frontman Brandon Flowers described it as one of the band's favorite album tracks, stating in an interview with the Mormon-based podcast The Foyer that the song was "so beautiful" and "transcends," noting the work of producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado. In an interview with NME, Flowers remarked that the song reminded him of moments from the band's first album, Hot Fuss.

The track was written by the then-three members of the Killers—Flowers, Mark Stoermer, and Ronnie Vannucci Jr.—along with producer Stuart Price, who had produced most of the band's third album Day & Age and Flowers' debut solo album Flamingo. Price produced the song alongside Rado and Everett, making it the only track on Imploding the Mirage produced by Price.

The cover artwork is "Two Peacocks" by American artist Thomas Blackshear. The song was released on streaming services and on CD in Europe on April 24, 2020. Flowers later praised the song, saying it "winks at you and you’re hooked."

Reception

Critical reception for "Fire in Bone" was positive. Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork called it "a pitch-perfect ’80s tempest—an exquisitely layered Thomas Dolby-style funhouse," noting Flowers' delivery in the final chorus. Bethany Carter of Redbrick Magazine highlighted the "sheer genius of creating a song with such a spirited melody and simplistic lyrics." Christopher Connor of Indie is not a Genre rated the song 3.5 stars, praising its "distinctive chiming guitars" and hints of Bruce Springsteen. Rolling Stone Magazine described it as a "quirky, funky new track."