A 2017 Ed Sheeran single, a dancehall-influenced pop track that topped charts in over forty countries and broke streaming records for its era.
Composition
Shape of You was written by Ed Sheeran with Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid. The arrangement is built on a marimba-led synth riff and a dancehall-influenced drum pattern, an unusual textural direction for Sheeran’s earlier catalog.
Reception
Released in January 2017, the single reached number one in over forty countries and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for twelve weeks. It became the most-streamed song on Spotify within months of release.
Legacy
Shape of You won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2018 ceremony. By 2021 it became the first song on Spotify to surpass three billion streams and continues to rank among the most-played tracks on streaming services.