Shape of You
| "Shape of You" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Shape of You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download on 6 January 2017 as a single from his upcoming third studio album ÷ (2017).[3]
Background
On 4 January, Sheeran uploaded a 6-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". Sheeran revealed when hosting the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show today (January 6) that Shape of You was originally wrote with Rihanna in mind, however he decided to keep the song for himself thinking that some of the lyrics may not fit with the Barbadian singer.[4][5]
Composition
Shape of You is a dancehall influenced song with "tropical house effects and strummy acoustics."[6][7][8] 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."[9]
Critical reception
Shape of You received positive reviews from music critics. Jon Caramanica from New York Times said, "Shape of You" is trickier, a nimble and effective song that takes the aggressive thinning of "Caribbean music".[10] 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."[11] 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."[12]
Promotion
"Shape of You" was accompanied by a lyric video upon its release.[13]
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 6 January 2017 | Digital download | Asylum Records | |
| United States | 10 January 2017 | Contemporary hit radio | Atlantic Records | [14] |
References
- ^ "New Music Friday: 9 New Songs To Hear Now". EW.com. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Shape of You - Single by Ed Sheeran on Apple Music". iTunes. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran Returns With Two New Tracks "Castle on the Hill" and "Shape of You"". Complex. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran is back - listen". Official Charts. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran Is Back". MTV. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "New Music Friday: 9 New Songs To Hear Now". EW.com. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran - Shape of You [New Song]". Hot New Hip Hop. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ed Sheeran releases new songs Castle on the Hill and Shape Of You". The Guardian. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Hear Ed Sheeran's Castle on the Hill and Shape of You". Rolling Stone. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "The playlist: Ed Sheeran Returns With a Foot in the Past and an Eye on the Future". New York Times. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ed Sheeran drops awaited new music, listen to "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill"". Billboard. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ed Sheeran Release Two Songs, Isn't So Bad". SPIN. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.