| "Sixteen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Single by Ellie Goulding | ||||
| Released | 12 April 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Ellie Goulding singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Sixteen" on YouTube | ||||
"Sixteen" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding, released as a single through Polydor Records on 12 April 2019. [1] It appears as an international bonus track on the digital and streaming edition of her fourth studio album Brightest Blue . [2] It was co-written by Goulding with Raye and Fred, and produced by Ian Kirkpatrick, Fred and Mike Wise. Goulding has said the song is about the "reckless days of adolescence". [3]
"Sixteen" is a pop, EDM and dance-pop ballad with an electronic beat that speaks about the "reckless days of adolescence". [4] [5] [3] It is written in the key of A-flat major with a tempo of 110 beats per minute. [6]
Goulding announced the song on social media on 11 April 2019, also posting that she compiled the cover artwork from friends' photos of when they were sixteen years of age. [7]
The music video directed by Tim Mattia was released on April 17, 2019, reflecting on Goulding's teenage years, focusing on her and a friend bunking off school to steal alcohol, smoke cannabis, get tattoos, and meet boys at an arcade. [8] [9] [10]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sixteen" | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sixteen" (Don Diablo Remix) | 3:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sixteen" (Acoustic) | 3:09 |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [14] | 85 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [15] | 41 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [16] | 50 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [17] | 35 |
| Canadian Hot Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [18] | 44 |
| China Airplay/FL ( Billboard ) [19] | 16 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [20] | 57 |
| Germany (GfK) [21] | 64 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [22] | 20 |
| Lithuania (AGATA) [23] | 35 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [24] | 27 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [25] | 8 |
| Norway (VG-lista) [26] | 26 |
| Scotland (OCC) [27] | 10 |
| Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) [28] | 16 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [29] | 52 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [30] | 37 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [31] | 95 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [32] | 21 |
| Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) [33] | 30 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [34] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) [35] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV) [36] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP) [37] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [38] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) [39] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 12 April 2019 | Original | Polydor | ||
| Italy | Contemporary hit radio | Universal | [40] | ||
| United Kingdom | Polydor | [41] | |||
| Various | 10 May 2019 |
| Don Diablo Remix | [11] | |
| 31 May 2019 | 99 Souls Remix | [12] | |||
| 14 June 2019 | Acoustic | [13] |