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==Background and release==
==Background and release==
{{"'}}The A Team' came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter", says Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics. I wanted to write it so it sounded kind of upbeat, so you wouldn't really know what it's about, because it's quite a dark subject." In a video interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Sheeran explained the song's title. "A drug like crack cocaine is called a '[[Misuse_of_Drugs_Act_1971#List_of_controlled_drugs|Class A drug]]'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle."<ref name="Billboard_interview">{{cite web | first=Gary | last=Trust | title=Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Ed Sheeran (Exclusive Video) | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/493958/chart-beat-meet-greet-ed-sheeran-exclusive-video | work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]] | date=17 April 2012 }}</ref> The single was released 1 May 2011, in the UK through [[Atlantic Records]]. In U.S. "The A Team" was serviced to [[radio format]] [[Adult album alternative]] (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) on 27 February 2012.
{{"'}}The A Team' came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter", says Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics. I wanted to write it so it sounded kind of upbeat, so you wouldn't really know what it's about, because it's quite a dark subject." In a video interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Sheeran explained the song's title. "A drug like crack cocaine is called a '[[Misuse_of_Drugs_Act_1971#List_of_controlled_drugs|Class A drug]]'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle."<ref name="Billboard_interview">{{cite web | first=Gary | last=Trust | title=Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Ed Sheeran (Exclusive Video) | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/493958/chart-beat-meet-greet-ed-sheeran-exclusive-video | work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]] | date=17 April 2012 }}</ref> The single was released 1 May 2011, in the UK through [[Atlantic Records]]. In U.S. "The A Team" was serviced to [[radio format]] [[Adult album alternative]] (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) on 27 February 2012.
i love me


==Composition==
==Composition==

Revision as of 19:43, 19 March 2014

"The A Team"
Song

"The A Team" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2011, serving as the lead single from his debut album, +. The track was written by Ed Sheeran and debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, with sales of 57,607 copies.[1]

Musically, "The A Team" is a folk ballad with lyrics that speak of a crack-addicted prostitute (crack is known as a "Class A drug"). It was written after Sheeran visited a homeless shelter and heard some of the stories of the lives people had been living. Making the song upbeat was Sheeran's way of masking the heavy subject matter. Also using the term "Class A Team" was another way of masking it a little more. The song was sung by Sheeran, following a last-minute performance at an event for the homeless. The chorus of "The A Team" was also used by Sheeran in the track "Little Lady", which features Mikill Pane. It is available on No. 5 Collaborations Project.

The song received acclaim from critics, praising the lyrics and production as well as Sheeran's vocal performance. "The A Team" became a top 10 hit in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The song was serviced to U.S. radio formats in late 2012 and became a sleeper hit within the United States, gradually rising up the Billboard Hot 100 to peak at number 16 – becoming Sheeran's first single on that chart. On 5 December the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year, Sheeran's first Grammy nomination.

Background and release

"'The A Team' came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter", says Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics. I wanted to write it so it sounded kind of upbeat, so you wouldn't really know what it's about, because it's quite a dark subject." In a video interview with Billboard, Sheeran explained the song's title. "A drug like crack cocaine is called a 'Class A drug'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle."[2] The single was released 1 May 2011, in the UK through Atlantic Records. In U.S. "The A Team" was serviced to radio format Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) on 27 February 2012. i love me

Composition

According to the sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing, "The A Team" is set in common time with a tempo of 170 beats per minute. Written in the key of A major; Sheeran's vocals range from the note of A2 to A4. Instrumentation is provided by guitar, piano and vocals.[3] "The A Team" is an indie folk/soul song. Gary Trust from Billboard compared the song to "folk/rock hits like Suzanne Vega's 'Luka' (about child abuse), 10,000 Maniacs' 'Like the Weather' (depression) and Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' (alcoholism)", songs that "shade their heavy topics under a melodic canopy".[2]

Critical reception

"The A Team" has received critical acclaim by music critics. Ryan Reed from Billboard praised the songwriting and musical composition writing:

[T]he song is a dark yet overwhelmingly tuneful slice of jazz-folk. Built on palm-muted guitars and a simmering string arrangement, Sheeran chronicles a young girl's descent into an endless web of drug addiction and prostitution: "Stuck in her daydream… Lately, her face seems slowly sinking, wasting, crumbling like pastries," he sings. A songwriting prodigy—he released his first two albums while still in high school—and up-and-coming phenom in his native Britain, Sheeran has an unflinching eye for subtle details and colorful imagery, and his music is full of soulful vocal runs and patient atmosphere. Although the subject matter of "The A Team" isn't exactly radio-friendly, the hook sure is.[4]

Mark Moore of Contactmusic.com awarded the single 7/10 and stating that the song is a "beautiful melodic track that is made by its dark lyrical content..."[5] Critics also praised Sheeran's vocals. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy awarded the song 5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "man-and-his-guitar concept is about as cliché as they come, but it's his intelligent lyrics and softer-than-cream-cheese vocals that set him apart from the pack." He further praised the song commenting "Sheeran's frank honesty and lump-in-the-throat-like emotion are weighted by a folky melody and off-kilter acoustics."[6]

Chart performance

The track made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number three on 19 June 2011[7] – entering as the second highest new entry behind Calvin Harris and the Kelis-assisted track, "Bounce", which debuted at number two. On its second week charting, the single fell two places to number five – falling a further place to number six on 3 July. On its fourth charting week, "The A Team" returned to its peak of number three – where it spent three consecutive weeks.[7] "The A Team" became the best selling debut single and the overall eight best selling single of 2011, shifting 801,000 copies.[8] "The A Team" also saw chart success elsewhere, peaking at number 2 and number 3 on the Scottish Singles and Irish Singles Chart, respectively.

The single debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number thirty-two, 23 October 2011. It peaked at number two for two weeks[9] and has been certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 210,000 copies.[10] On the New Zealand Singles Chart the entered at number thirty-eight, 21 November 2011. It peaked at number three and has been certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for sales of 15,000 copies.[11]

After being serviced to radio formats in U.S., the song made its first American chart entry on Billboard's component Adult Pop Songs at number thirty-eight.[12] It also debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since peaked at number 16, becoming his first top 20 hit on the chart. It also peaked at 29 on the Canadian Hot 100. The song's final position on the Canadian Hot 100 was number 45 on 9 March 2013.

Music video

The music video for the song was shot and edited by Ruskin Kyle (Rivers Rush Video Production Company).[13] It was uploaded to YouTube on 22 April 2010.[14] Sheeran refers to when he first created the demo for the song during an interview with 96.1 KISS,[15] "Whenever I wrote songs in the past, I never recorded them down because I didn't have a recorder but I had a Mac computer and made a video version of it." The original demos for "The A Team" were originally all recorded in this manner but not released to the public. When asked about his inspiration behind the Grammy nominated hit, Sheeran shared, "The A Team is written about a woman that I met in a homeless shelter." It narrates the story of a girl addicted to drugs, living on the streets of London, played by Selina MacDonald. She tried to sell magazines for money, but only managed to sell one to the artist of the song, Ed Sheeran. The girl struggled so much that she resorted to selling her body to earn money. She may not have loved it, but it provided an income in general for the young woman. Later on, the pain became too much for her to bear and she just wanted to end it all. She traded in her "dirty" money for drugs, referencing the lyric "...and in a pipe she flies to the motherland." In the end, the girl succumbs to her drug abuse. An acoustic, unplugged version of the song was also uploaded onto the official Ed Sheeran YouTube page on May 10, 2011.

Live performances

Ed Sheeran performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 30, 2012 and on the talk show Conan on May 8, 2012. Sheeran performed an acoustic version of the song live at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Queen Elizabeth II on 4 June 2012.[16] Sheeran performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show along with "Grade 8" on October 4, 2012 and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" on December 19, 2012. Sheeran also performed "The A Team" as a duet with Elton John at the 2013 Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013.

Cover versions

In July 2011, Birdy covered the song at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.[17][18] Kendall Schmidt from Big Time Rush posted a cover of the song on YouTube in June.[19] On 17 June 2012, during One Direction's Up All Night Tour, member Niall Horan covered the song at Anaheim's The Theatre at Honda Center.[20] The X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan has also used the music from the song, rewriting the lyrics from the perspective of the man who uses the services of the girl of the song, with version entitled "The B Team". X Factor Indonesia contestant "Mikha Angelo" covered the song in the third gala show.[citation needed] Also, the Jonas Brothers covered the song on their tour during Latin America.[21] In May 2013, Caroline Glaser performed the song on the live playoffs of The Voice. Felicia Hallengren did a cover at the contest Talang Ronneby 2013. In 2013 the French movie "Les Gamins" used a cover version by St John's International School choir for its OST [22] [23] [24] On January 19, 2013, singer Masha, covered the song on her YouTube channel, as of November 2013 Masha's cover has received nearly 50,000 views.[25]

Track listing

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."The A Team"4:18
2."The A Team" (Shy FX's Ackee and Saltfish Remix)4:28
3."The A Team" (KOAN Sound Remix)4:39
4."The A Team" (True Tiger Remix)3:39
5."The A Team" (Acoustic)4:01
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."The A Team"4:18
2."The A Team" (KOAN Sound Remix)4:39
7" vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."The A Team"4:18
2."The A Team" (Shy FX's Ackee and Saltfish Remix)4:28

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Ireland 10 June 2011[63] Digital download Atlantic Records
United Kingdom 1 May 2011[64]
10 June 2011[65]
13 June 2011[66] CD single
United States 27 August 2012 Mainstream radio

References

  1. ^ Ed Sheeran's debut pantaloons 'The A Team' debuts at number three BBC News, Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  2. ^ a b Trust, Gary (17 April 2012). "Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Ed Sheeran (Exclusive Video)". Billboard.com.
  3. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com (EMI Music Publishing). Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Ed Sheeran (Exclusive Video) – Chart Beat". Billboard.com. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  5. ^ Ed Sheeran | The A Team Single Review | Contactmusic.com
  6. ^ Ed Sheeran: 'The A Team' - Music Singles Review - Digital Spy
  7. ^ a b Ed Sheeran – 'The A Team' – UK Chart Stats Information Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  8. ^ "The Top 20 biggest selling singles of 2011 revealed!". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  10. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Aria.com.au. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  11. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  12. ^ Billboard (30 April 2012<!- – 5:05 EDT-->). "Chart Highlights: Katy Perry's 'Part of Me' Tops Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Rivers Rush – a video production company – Ruskin Kyle". Riversrush.com. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  15. ^ "KISS Muisc Theater - Ed Sheeran - Interview with Tall Cathy". 961KISS. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  16. ^ Neil McCormick (4 June 2012). "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  17. ^ "BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge – Birdy)". BBC. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  18. ^ "Birdy – 'The A Team' (Ed Sheeran Cover)". OfficialBirdy/Youtube. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012. Luca Hänni, winner of the ninth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar performed the song in the Top 16 show on 25 February 2012.
  19. ^ "Kendall Schmidt - COVER - "A-Team" /Ed Sheeran".
  20. ^ "VIDEO: NIALL HORAN SINGS ED SHEERAN'S THE A TEAM (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HARRY STYLES)". Sugar Magazine;Hachette Filipacchi Médias. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  21. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjjHiI6gZiQ
  22. ^ http://www.musicme.com/#/St-John's-International-School/titres/The-A-Team-t2021805.html
  23. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQoARMjOWl8
  24. ^ https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/les-gamins-bande-originale/id622835960
  25. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5jbIcX9k_o
  26. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  27. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  28. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  29. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" (in French). Ultratip.
  30. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" (in French). Les classement single.
  32. ^ "Chart Track: Week 39, 2011". Irish Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Media Forest Week 33, 2011". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  34. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/ed-sheeran/chart-history/japan-hot-100
  35. ^ "Luxembourg Digital Songs - March 17, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  36. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  37. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". Top 40 Singles.
  38. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". VG-lista.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  40. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201130 into search.
  41. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team" Canciones Top 50.
  42. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". Singles Top 100.
  43. ^ "Ed Sheeran – The A Team". Swiss Singles Chart.
  44. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  46. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  47. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  48. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  49. ^ Hot 100 Songs & New Music: 1 - 10 Songs | Billboard Music Charts
  50. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  51. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Ed Sheeran – The A-Team". Music Canada. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  52. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ed Sheeran; 'The A Team')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  53. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). Archived from the original on 6 March 2012.
  54. ^ "Trofe Oversikt" (in Norwegian). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Norway. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  55. ^ "Veckolista Singlar - Vecka 35, 31 augusti 2012". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  56. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('The A Team')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  57. ^ Lane, Dan (1 February 2012). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time! (list of most successful songs in the UK)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2013. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 83 (help)
  58. ^ "American single certifications – Ed Sheeran – The A-Team". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  59. ^ "ARIA 2011 Top 100 Albums Chart" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  60. ^ "The Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of the Year". BBC. 31 December 2011.
  61. ^ "Classement des 200 premiers Singles Fusionnés par GfK année 2012" (PDF). SNEP. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  62. ^ "Best of 2013 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  63. ^ "iTunes – Music – The A Team by Ed Sheeran". Itunes.apple.com. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  64. ^ "The A Team – Ed Sheeran". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  65. ^ "The A Team by Ed Sheeran iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  66. ^ "The A Team – Ed Sheeran www.amazon.co.uk/". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_A_Team_(Ed_Sheeran_song)&oldid=600350413"