"Afterglow" is a song by English singer Ed Sheeran. Released on 21 December 2020, the song marked Sheeran's first single release in more than 18 months. An accompanying music video features a one-take performance by Sheeran with solo acoustic guitar accompaniment.
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 Sheeran's 13th top ten on the US Billboard Adult Top 40, the most on the chart for a male solo artist.
Background On 20 December 2020, after having taken an extended hiatus from 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.
Cover art The cover art depicts an original piece of action painting created by Sheeran himself.
Critical reception The song received generally positive reviews from critics. Billboards Gil Kaufmann described the song as a "spare acoustic ballad" that features a "haunting chorus". 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". 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".
Personnel Credits adapted from Tidal. Ed Sheeran – producer, guitar, vocals, backing vocals Fred – producer, bass, programmer Marco Parisi – synthesiser Giampaolo Jack Parisi – vocoder Stuart Hawkes – masterer Mark Spike Stent – mixer Matt Wolach – assistant mixer Parisi – producer, sound designer
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart performance for "Afterglow" Chart (2020–2021) Peakposition Croatia (HRT) 1 Dominican Republic (SODINPRO) 42 Greece (IFPI) 49 Iceland (Tónlistinn) 3 Israel (Media Forest) 1 Italy (FIMI) 16 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) Note: Select the "Chart history" tab to obtain the corresponding chart peak. 3 Lithuania (AGATA) 18 Malaysia (RIM) 14 Mexico (Billboard Mexican Airplay) 22Romania (Airplay 100) 66 San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50) 15 Singapore (RIAS) 8 Slovenia (SloTop50) 6
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for "Afterglow" Chart (2021) Position Australia (ARIA) 63 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 38 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) 46 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia) 76 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 39 Denmark (Tracklisten) 80 Germany (Official German Charts) 51 Global 200 (Billboard) 152 Ireland (IRMA) 48 Italy (FIMI) 99 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 41 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 91 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 98 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 28 UK Singles (OCC) 66 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 26 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 38
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Afterglow" Region Date Format Label Various 21 December 2020
References