Ed Sheeran's 'Shape of You': Making 2017’s Biggest Track | Diary of a Song

Summary

The transcript details the creative process behind Ed Sheeran's hit 'Shape of You,' highlighting the spontaneous and organic nature of songwriting. It reveals how a simple guitar riff evolved into the song's backbone, with Sheeran's impatience leading to immediate layering of sounds. The narrative also touches on the importance of keeping the song's structure simple to allow for live performance replication and the strategic addition of elements like the mellotron for color. The songwriter's initial reluctance to objectify in lyrics and the song's transformation from a potential duet to a solo hit underscore the dynamic and iterative nature of music creation.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The song 'Shape of You' was not initially intended to be a hit single but evolved organically during the songwriting process.
• 🎹 Ed Sheeran started playing a guitar riff as soon as they met, which became the foundation of the song.
• 🚀 The creation of 'Shape of You' was quick, with the basic structure established within the first 15 minutes of meeting.
• 🎧 Sheeran's impatience led to him creating guitar parts while waiting for the drum sound to be set up.
• 🎤 The song's rhythm was intentionally kept simple to allow for Ed's vocal performance to stand out.
• 🤔 Sheeran prefers to keep his music acoustic and straightforward for live performances, which influenced the song's arrangement.
• 🎵 The idea to include an interpolation of 'No Scrubs' came up during the writing session to give it an R&B feel.
• 📝 The lyrics were carefully crafted to avoid objectification, with the phrase 'in love with the shape of you' being a deliberate choice.
• 🔄 The song's structure is minimalistic, with variations in light and shade to keep the listener engaged.
• 🎼 Additional elements like the mellotron, bass drum, and rim shots were added to give the song more depth and movement.
• 🏆 Despite initial thoughts of giving the song away, it became one of Ed Sheeran's biggest hits, proving the importance of following instincts in music creation.

Q & A

What was the initial intention of the songwriting session with Ed Sheeran?

The initial intention was to write a song, not specifically for Ed Sheeran, but just to create a song during the session.

How did Ed Sheeran start the songwriting process on the first day?

Ed Sheeran started by walking over to a keyboard and playing, which was considered a good start by the narrator.

What was the first sound that was found and used in the song?

The first sound used was a log drum, which the narrator found and felt like a world sound.

Why did Ed Sheeran start playing the guitar during the session?

Ed Sheeran started playing the guitar because he was impatient and couldn't wait for the narrator to set up the drum sound.

How did the songwriting process evolve in the first 15 minutes of meeting Ed Sheeran?

In the first 15 minutes, Ed Sheeran started layering sounds over the top of the initial guitar playing, and they quickly got into the flow of creating the song.

What was the approach to the rhythm of the song?

The approach was to go with the flow of the rhythm, which went against the norm, and Ed Sheeran almost became the percussion of the song.

Why was the song kept more strict in terms of structure?

The song was kept more strict because Ed Sheeran is primarily an acoustic artist and needs to be able to replicate the song live without additional musicians.

What was the strategy to keep Johnny, Ed Sheeran's main collaborator, engaged during the songwriting process?

To keep Johnny engaged, Ed Sheeran would have a suitcase full of Lego for him to build while Ed worked on the track.

What was the inspiration behind the interpolation of 'No Scrubs' in the song?

The inspiration was to give the song an R&B type feel, and the idea of interpolating 'No Scrubs' was considered cool by Ed Sheeran.

How did the line 'my bedsheet smell like you' come about?

The line came about during the writing process, with Ed Sheeran suggesting it should be 'my bedsheets' instead of 'my t-shirt' as initially discussed.

What was the original title of the song before it became 'Shape of You'?

The original version did not have the title 'Shape of You'; it only mentioned it in the beginning with 'in my bed sheet smell like you.'

How was the song structured in terms of loops and instrumentation?

The song was structured with one loop throughout, which was monotonous, and additional elements like vocals, guitars, mellotron, bass drum, and rim shots were added to create light and shade.

What was the final moment of the song like, and how did it contribute to the overall feel?

The final moment of the song was about tension and release, with subtle changes happening underneath that gave a feeling of movement and prevented the listener from getting bored.

What other songs were written on the same day as 'Shape of You'?

On the same day, they also wrote a song with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and another song after that, making it a productive day with multiple song creations.

What was the initial reaction to the song within Ed Sheeran's record label?

The initial reaction was one of surprise and questioning why Ed would want to give the song away, as it was considered potentially significant.

What was Ed Sheeran's attitude towards following trends in pop music?

Ed Sheeran had always tried not to follow trends, but with 'Shape of You', he admitted he was wrong and it became one of the biggest songs of his career.