Afterglow (Ed Sheeran song)

"Afterglow" is a song by British singer Ed Sheeran. It was released on 21 December 2020, as a Christmas gift to his fans.[2] The song marks Sheeran's first single release in over 18 months.[3] An accompanying music video features a one-take performance by Sheeran with just a guitar.[4][5] The song reached number-one in Israel and peaked within the top-ten of the charts in ten other countries, including the United Kingdom (number two on the UK Singles Chart), Australia and Switzerland. It also became his 13th top ten on the US Billboard Adult Top 40, the most on the chart for a male solo artist.[6]

"Afterglow"
Single by Ed Sheeran
Released21 December 2020 (2020-12-21)
Recorded2019
GenreFolk-pop[1]
Length3:05
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Sheeran
  • Parisi
  • Fred
Ed Sheeran singles chronology
"Own It"
(2019)		 "Afterglow"
(2020)
Music video
"Afterglow" on YouTube

Background

On 20 December 2020, after having taken an extended hiatus from the public life, Sheeran returned to social media to announce his new single: "Hey guys. Afterglow is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to release for you". He further explained that the song is "not the first single from the next album" but just a song he loves.[7] The song is thought to be about his trip to Antarctica with his wife, Cherry Seaborn.[8]

Cover art

The cover art depicts a painting with "splashes of colors" created by Sheeran himself and was compared to the works of Jackson Pollock.[7][9]

Critical reception

Billboard's Gil Kaufmann described the song as a "spare acoustic ballad" that features a "haunting chorus".[9] Zoe Haylock of Vulture compared the song to Taylor Swift's latest surprise releases, saying he "took a page out of Taylor Swift's book and surprised fans with a new single" and went on to describe the track as one of his "acoustic bangers".[2] Morgan Hines of USA Today thought the song, accompanied by a "mellow melody", "exudes a feeling of intimacy during an emotional time between loved ones".[10]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[11]

  • Ed Sheeran – voice, guitar, backing vocals, producer
  • Fred Again – bass, programmer, producer
  • Marco Parisi – synthesiser
  • Giampaolo Jack Parisi – vocoder
  • Stuart Hawkes – mixer
  • Mark Spike Stent – masterer
  • Matt Wolach – assistant mixing engineer
  • Parisi – sound designer, co-producer

Charts
Chart (2020–2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 7
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[15] 30
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] 10
CIS (Tophit)[17] 43
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[18] 48
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[19] 15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 19
Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 10
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[22] 35
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[23] 29
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 2
Israel (Media Forest)[25] 1
Italy (FIMI)[26] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 12
Norway (VG-lista)[30] 9
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[31] 65
Russia Airplay (Tophit)[32] 34
Singapore (RIAS)[33] 8
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[34] 19
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[35] 19
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 13
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[38] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 29
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 16
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[41] 8
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[42] 16

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Afterglow"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom 18 December 2020 Contemporary hit radio Asylum [43]
Various 21 December 2020
[11]

References
  1. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/ed-sheerans-afterglow-isthe-christmas-song-never-even-knew-needed/
  2. Haylock, Zoe (21 December 2020). "Ed Sheeran Returns to Strum Us Into 2021 With 'Afterglow'". Vulture. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  3. Daly, Rhian (21 December 2020). "Ed Sheeran returns with new single 'Afterglow'". NME. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  4. Ramachandran, Naman (21 December 2020). "Ed Sheeran Drops Surprise Track 'Afterglow'". Variety. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  5. Rice, Nicholas (21 December 2020). "Ed Sheeran Releases New Song 'Afterglow,' His First Since Becoming a Father — Listen". People. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  6. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  7. Yang, Rachel (21 December 2020). "Ed Sheeran returns with new song 'Afterglow'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  8. "Ed Sheeran Afterglow Lyrics Explained As He Returns To Music". Capital FM. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  9. Kaufman, Gil (21 December 2020). "It's a Christmas Miracle! Ed Sheeran Drops Surprise Track 'Afterglow'". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  10. "Ed Sheeran drops 'Christmas present' song 'Afterglow,' fans cheer: 'Just what we needed'". USA Today. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  11. "Try the TIDAL Web Player". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  12. "Australian-charts.com – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  13. "Austriancharts.at – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  14. "Ultratop.be – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  17. Ed Sheeran — Afterglow. Tophit. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  18. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 20211 into search. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  19. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 20211 into search. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  20. "Ed Sheeran: Afterglow" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  22. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  23. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  24. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  25. "Media Forest charts". Media Forest. 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  26. "Classifica settimanale WK 1" (in Italian). Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  28. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  29. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  30. "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 53, 2020". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  31. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  32. "Russia Airplay Chart for 2021-01-22." Tophit. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  33. "RIAS International Top Charts Week 53". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on 5 January 2021.
  34. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20214 into search. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  35. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 20211 into search. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  36. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 1". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  37. "Swisscharts.com – Ed Sheeran – Afterglow". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  39. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  40. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  41. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  42. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  43. "BBC – Radio 1 Playlist". BBC Radio 1. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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