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| "Shape of You" | ||||||||
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_by_Ed_Sheeran.png) | ||||||||
| Single by Ed Sheeran | ||||||||
| from the album ÷ | ||||||||
| Released | 6 January 2017 | |||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||
| Recorded | 2016 | |||||||
| Genre | ||||||||
| Length | 3:53[1] | |||||||
| Label | ||||||||
| Writer(s) | ||||||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Ed Sheeran singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Shape of You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album ÷ (2017), along with "Castle on the Hill".[4]
The dancehall-infused pop song[5] was written and produced by Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac, along with additional writing contributions from Johnny McDaid, Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs.[2]
"Shape of You" peaked at number-one on the singles charts of 30 different countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as the UK, Australian and Canadian singles charts. It has stayed at number one for 16 consecutive weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 tied for the record, and 14 non-consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart,[6] and 12 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]
Contents
[show]Background[edit]
On 4 January 2017, Sheeran uploaded a six-second teaser video of a blue background to social media, with lyrics "the club isn't the best place to find a lover", which is the first line of "Shape of You". On 6 January 2017, when hosting The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Sheeran revealed that "Shape of You" had originally been written with Rihanna in mind.[8][9] To further tease the release, Sheeran and his label used a sponsored Snapchat lens filter with 30 seconds on the song, increase buzz among the general public.[10] He said:
He continued, "This was the last song that was finished, and I just didn't put two and two together that this was even going to be on the album. I just kind of wrote it and was like 'oh, that was fun.'"[12]
Composition[edit]
"Shape of You" is a pop,[13] dancehall[5] and tropical house[14] song with "strummy acoustics."[15] In the song, Sheeran sings over a marimba-fueled percussive sway about a budding romance. "The club isn't the best place to find a lover, so the bar is where I go/ Me and my friends at the table doing shots drinking fast and then we talk slow," he sings. "Come over and start up a conversation with just me/ And trust me I'll give it a chance."[16] According to NT News, the song "tells the story of loved (or lusted) up Sheeran meeting a girl in a bar where he and his mates are doing shots."[17] "Shape of You" is written in the key of C♯ minor with a tempo of 96 beats per minute. The song is composed in common time (4
4 time), and follows a basic chord progression of C♯m–F♯m–A–B (i–iv–VI–VII), and Sheeran's vocals span from G♯3 to G♯5.[18]
4 time), and follows a basic chord progression of C♯m–F♯m–A–B (i–iv–VI–VII), and Sheeran's vocals span from G♯3 to G♯5.[18]
The song's lyrical rhythm drew comparisons to the TLC song "No Scrubs", particularly in the pre-chorus line, "Boy, let's not talk too much/ Grab on my waist and put that body on me."[19] As a result, the composers of "No Scrubs," Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, were awarded co-writing credits on "Shape of You".[19]
Critical reception[edit]
Jon Caramanica from The New York Times said, "'Shape of You' is trickier, a nimble and effective song that takes the aggressive thinning of 'Caribbean music'."[20] Billboard's Taylor Weatherby wrote about the song saying, "'Shape of You' doesn't quite sound like your typical Sheeran tune. But that almost serves as an indication of what the "Thinking Out Loud" singer has been up to during his hiatus: creating music that still feels like Sheeran, just with a new twist."[21] Jeremy Gordon of Spin gave the song a positive review, stating that the song "is a plausible attempt at convincing us he has had sex ... a lot of it. It kind of slaps, though you can't really picture Sheeran ever saying 'put that body on me' to a real human woman."[22] News website Metro wrote that it sounds similar to the song "Cheap Thrills" by Sia.[23]
Chart performance[edit]
The song reached number one in the official charts of 30 countries, and has received various certifications. "Shape of You" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 13 January, selling 227,000 combined units in its first week. Sheeran also debuted at number 2 with the song "Castle on the Hill", making him the only artist in UK chart history to debut in the top two positions.[24] "Shape of You" debuted at number two on the Scottish Singles Chart behind "Castle on the Hill". The song was certified Silver in the first week due to selling 200,000 units and Gold in the second week selling 400,000 units. The song remained at number one in its second week, selling 139,000. It has stayed at number one for 13 consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart,[6] and a further week at the top after a week interruption by Harry Styles' "Sign Of The Times".[25] As of April 2017, the song has sold 1,811,910 copies in total and accumulated 120,810,200 streams.[26]
The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 240,000 downloads and gaining 20 million streams in its debut week in the US, becoming Sheeran's first number one song in the country.[27] Sheeran also became the first artist to debut two songs in the top 10 the same week in the history of the Hot 100, with "Castle on the Hill" also debuting at number six.[27] "Shape of You" topped the Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks.[7] In its fourth week at number one, the song also topped the Mainstream Top 40, becoming Sheeran's second number-one single on the chart (after 2015's "Thinking Out Loud"). On 6 May 2017, it fell to number two on the Hot 100, being displaced by "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar.[28] On Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, "Shape of You" became Sheeran's first number one on a Dance/EDM chart (his third top ten and sixth overall at Dance/Mix Show Airplay) in the United States.[29] Afterwards, the song topped Dance Club Songs in its 18 March 2017 issue, his first as a solo artist and his second entry on this chart, when he was a featured artist on Rudimental's "Lay It All on Me", which peaked at No. 38 in 2016.[30][31] As of 6 April 2017, "Shape of You" is the best selling song of 2017 in the US with 1.7 million copies sold and the only one to sell over one million.[32]
It debuted at number one in France,[33] and was later certified platinum there.[34] In Australia, the song stayed at No. 1 for 15 weeks, breaking a record set 22 years ago by Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise".[35]
Videos[edit]
To accompany the song's release, a lyric video for "Shape of You" was released on Sheeran's YouTube channel.[36] The video was directed by Jason Koenig. As of 15 May 2017, the lyric video has amassed over 620 million views on YouTube.[37]
On 30 January 2017, the song's official music video, starring American dancer and model Jennie Pegouskie and retired professional sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama Ryūta (credited as "Yama"), was released on Sheeran's channel.[38][39] It was shot on location in Seattle, and was directed by Jason Koenig.[40] On 8 May, 97 days after its release, it became one of the fastest music videos to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.[41]
Remixes[edit]
The official remix of "Shape of You" features newly additional verses and guest vocals by English grime artist Stormzy. The remix premiered during Sheeran and Stormzy's live collaboration at the 2017 Brit Awards at The O2 in London on 22 February 2017.[42] Sheeran announced on Twitter that the remix would be released officially on 24 February 2017.[43] On the same date, various remixes of the song were released on digital music services. Sheeran teased the releases ahead of 2017 Brit Awards ceremony. "I've got two things dropping on Friday that are pretty interesting," he revealed in a BBC Radio 1 interview just hours before the big show. "One that gets debuted at the Brits, which I think people will go a bit nuts for.” He added, “It's something that I think nobody is expecting. I think it'll be decent.”[44] The Stormzy remix reached No. 1 on The Vodafone Big Top 40.[45][46] Remixes by Galantis and Major Lazer were also released, the latter of these featuring guest vocals by Jamaican reggae artists Nyla and Kranium, who had both collaborated with Lazer in the past.
In the United States, "Shape of You" has immediately become a favorite among DJs and remixers, prompting several of them to create their own versions. One DJ, Joe "Maz" Masurka, told Billboard that after he did his own remix on the single that he received a lot of great feedback and response: "I absolutely love the track, so I had to remix it myself so that I could play it in all my live shows. Ed is a genius; best song in the last few years. I've been playing it literally everywhere I've been booked since about mid-January: Hyde Bellagio in Las Vegas, E11even and Ora in Miami, Parq in San Diego, Premier Atlantic City ... the dance floor loves it."[47] A Latin remix featuring reggaeton duo Zion & Lennox was released on 17 March 2017.
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