Keys performed "Girl on Fire" for the first time at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6, 2012, where she was joined by Minaj and American gymnastics gold-medalist Gabby Douglas.

[1][2] Gerrick Kennedy from the LA Times spoke of the multiple versions of the song commenting that the main single was most likely made for pop radio, but noted that Minaj's verses on the Inferno Remix would probably get noticed more.

[3]"Girl on Fire" is a midtempo song written by Keys, Jeff Bhasker, Salaam Remi and American rock guitarist Billy Squier.

"[1] Keys' lyrics centre around toasting the "achievements of women everywhere", particularly with the hook "She's just a girl and she's on fire", which according to MTV's Rob Markman is delivered with a "calming-yet-commanding wail".

[3] LA Times' Gerrick Kennedy expanded further describing the songs components as "a fierce battlecry over a fast-building simplistic hook".

[2][3] Throwing "If I Ain't Got You" (2004) into the list of comparisons, Erin Thompson from Seattle Weekly said "Girl on Fire" compares to previous Keys' ballads with its "quiet, unassuming verses leading into big, empathic choruses.

[3] Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson described Minaj's verses as "more prominent" than Keys' and noted that the production was influenced by garage music.

[1] According to the Los Angeles Times' Gerrick Kennedy, the Bluelight remix has a production based on "dripping" synths and "light" chord progressions.

Williot described how Keys' vocals take on a "more emotional performance" while the melody is replaced with "faint bass drops and a hushed drum machine".

[12] Rob Markman from MTV's RapFix blog described "Girl on Fire" as a "high-powered Alicia ballad" just like previous singles "No One" and "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart".

[3] Agreeing with those comparisons was Gerrick Kennedy from the LA Times who went on to describe the main single as a "sweeping ballad with powerful vocals and an anthemic hook".

[15] The song has also become an international hit for Keys, reaching number one in Austria, South Korea, and Slovakia, the Top 5 in the Netherlands, Brazil, Israel, Denmark, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the United Kingdom, and a Top 20 hit in the US, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Spain.

Christopher Farley from the Wall Street Journal was of the opinion that Keys is making 21st-century domesticity sexy, and is "an intriguing move for a pop-soul star".

[19][20] Keys performed "Girl on Fire" for the first time at 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

[22] It was only after Minaj rapped the line "But I got 'em aggy, cause I win the gold like Gabby", Douglas appear on stage with a brief routine containing cartwheels, jumps and back handsprings.

[27] On November 12, 2012, Alicia Performed New Music like "Girl On Fire" and another new song off her upcoming album titled "Brand New Me" + Our Favorites On VH1 Storytellers.

On November 11, 2012, Alicia took the MTV Europe Music Awards stage by storm with a jaw-dropping performance of her new songs "New Day" and "Girl On Fire" On November 20 at 7:00 PM EST, Alicia exclusively performed on YouTube Live Stream with Google+ Hangout, also premiering her new album, "Girl on Fire" for the very first time.

On January 21, 2013, Keys sang the song with modified lyrics during President Barack Obama's Inaugural Balls, which celebrated his second term.

[35] American drag queens Willam Belli, Detox and Vicky Vox released a parody of the song titled "Boy Is a Bottom" on January 26, 2013.

[38] In March 2023, Lloyds Bank began airing a television commercial in the United Kingdom which heavily used "Girl on Fire" as the advert's soundtrack.

[39][40] The song saw increased popularity in that country, and, on 24 March 2023, "Girl on Fire" peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.