"Shivers" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, released through Asylum Records and Atlantic Records on 10 September 2021 as the second single from his fifth studio album, = (2021). "Shivers" entered atop the charts in the United Kingdom and Ireland, dethroning Sheeran's previous single "Bad Habits" after eleven consecutive weeks at the summit in both countries. The song also topped the charts in Austria, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
| "Shivers" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ed Sheeran | ||||
| from the album = | ||||
| Released | 10 September 2021 | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop[1] | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Ed Sheeran singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Shivers" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Shivers" | ||||
Background
Sheeran referred to the song while explaining why the album title was = instead of –, as fans had predicted, in which he said: "I was making the record and I wrote a song called 'Shivers' and I was like, 'This doesn't really feel like [Minus]".[2] Sheeran wrote "Shivers" at the end of the Divide tour, when he set up a studio at a rented farm in Suffolk where he had his last date of the tour. It took him three days to write the song, which was unusually long for him, as he felt the song "was too special to get wrong".[3]
Release and promotion
On 19 August 2021, Sheeran announced his fourth studio album, =, in which the song is listed on the tracklist.[4] He later announced the cover art and release date of the song on 2 September 2021. He also revealed that "Shivers" was originally intended to be the lead single for the album instead of its current lead single, "Bad Habits".[3] A preview of the song was also listed.[5] Sheeran announced its accompanying music video and a teaser video of it on Labour Day, 6 September 2021.[6]
Critical reception
On 2 September 2021, the same day Sheeran announced the song, Jonathan Heaf from the United Kingdom branch of GQ in Sheeran's hometown, described the song as "a sexy, rocketing song that includes hand claps in the bridge and is music to dance to with your best friends after three too many tequilas".[7]
Music video and lyric video
Music video
A music video was released along with the song on 10 September 2021, starring Sheeran and AnnaSophia Robb. It has over 300 million views as of August 2023. Like his previous video, "Bad Habits", it was directed by Dave Meyers. In the music video, Sheeran meets Robb at a diner and starts going through wild fantasies with her, including getting revived in a morgue after a text from her that he was waiting for finally arrives, dancing together in a bird-filled hotel, and fighting off some goons (with Sheeran suddenly wearing knight armor in the midst of the fight). In some scenes in the music video, Sheeran wears sequins and feathers.[8]
Lyric video
The lyric video for "Shivers" was released on 13 September 2021.[9]
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Spotify[21] and Tidal.[22]
- Ed Sheeran – vocals, songwriting, production, guitar, pizzicato violin
- Johnny McDaid – songwriting, unknown vocals, guitar
- Kal Lavelle – songwriting
- Steve Mac – songwriting, production, keyboard, vocal production
- Fred – production, bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, programming
- Charlie Holmes – assistant mixing
- Chris Laws – drums, programming, unknown vocals, recording
- Dan Pursey – vocal production, unknown vocals, recording
- Graham Archer – unknown vocals, vocal production
- Joe Rubel – unknown vocals, recording, additional programming
- Kieran Beardmore – assistant mixing
- Mark “Spike” Stent – mixing
- Matt Wolach – assistant mixing
- Stuart Hawkes – mastering
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2021) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[86] | 32 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[87] | 27 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[88] | 34 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[89] | 49 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[90] | 49 |
| Croatia (HRT)[91] | 87 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[92] | 23 |
| France (SNEP)[93] | 108 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[94] | 33 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[95] | 118 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[96] | 36 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40)[97] | 43 |
| Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[98] | 73 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[99] | 22 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[100] | 24 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[101] | 41 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[102] | 39 |
| Poland (ZPAV)[103] | 41 |
| Portugal (AFP)[104] | 132 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[105] | 30 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[106] | 29 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[107] | 15 |
| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[108] | 45 |
| Chart (2022) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[109] | 6 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[110] | 5 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[111] | 25 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[112] | 37 |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[113] | 197 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[114] | 4 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[115] | 10 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[116] | 5 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[117] | 5 |
| Hungary (Dance Top 40)[118] | 73 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[119] | 48 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40)[120] | 56 |
| Italy (FIMI)[121] | 85 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[122] | 26 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[123] | 32 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[124] | 7 |
| Poland (ZPAV)[125] | 88 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[126] | 8 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[127] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[128] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[129] | 5 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[130] | 4 |
| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[131] | 6 |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[132] | 19 |
| Chart (2023) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[133] | 24 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[134] | 58 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[135] | 66 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[136] | 87 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[137] | 43 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[138] | 31 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[139] | 28 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[140] | 38 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[141] | 9 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[142] | 8× Platinum | 560,000‡ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[143] | 4× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[144] | 3× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[145] | 8× Platinum | 640,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[146] | 2× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[147] | Diamond | 333,333‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[148] | 2× Platinum | 800,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[149] | 3× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[150] | 5× Platinum | 150,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[151] | Diamond | 250,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[152] | 3× Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[153] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[154] | 4× Platinum | 2,400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[155] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Japan (RIAJ)[156] | Gold | 50,000,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 10 September 2021 | Original | Atlantic | [157] | |
| United States | 13 September 2021 | Adult contemporary radio | [158] | ||
| 14 September 2021 | Contemporary hit radio | [159] | |||
| Various | 1 October 2021 |
| Acoustic | [12] | |
| Navos Remix | [13] | ||||
| 8 October 2021 | Ofenbach Remix | [14] | |||
| 11 October 2021 | Alok Remix | [15] | |||
| 25 October 2021 | Jax Jones Remix | [16] | |||
| 12 November 2021 | Heavy-K Remix | [17] | |||
| Dillon Francis Remixes | [18] | ||||
| 24 November 2021 | featuring Jessi and Sunmi | [19] | |||
| 17 December 2021 | featuring Feduk and Slava Marlow | [20] |