Under the Sheets

Last updated

"Under the Sheets"
Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets.png
Single by Ellie Goulding
from the album Lights
B-side "Fighter Plane"
Released9 November 2009 (2009-11-09)
Genre Electropop [1] [2]
Length3:44
Label Neon Gold
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Starsmith
Ellie Goulding singles chronology
"Under the Sheets"
(2009)		"Starry Eyed"
(2010)
Alternative cover
Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets (Germany).png
German cover

"Under the Sheets" is the debut single by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). Produced by Starsmith, it was released as the album's lead single. The song premiered on Huw Stephens's BBC Radio 1 show on 30 September 2009 [3] and was released on the UK iTunes Store on 15 November 2009, [4] peaking at number fifty-three on the UK Singles Chart. It was also used to promote the second season of 90210 on E4 in the UK. According to Goulding, the single was released on independent label Neon Gold Records rather than Polydor so that she would not be put under too much pressure. [5]

Contents

Background

Speaking to DJ Steve Lamacq on his BBC Radio 2 show, Goulding said of "Under the Sheets":

["Under the Sheets"] was probably the easiest song I've written, but actually when I listen back to the lyrics they are actually quite meaningful. They are about a girl and a guy who are in a relationship but it's a very dark relationship in that it's only based on being physical. It's not like a sexual song, it's more like shows that some relationships are based on nothing that is real, they are not based on something good. I've had that experience in my life, because you're trying to cling on to something that you know you're in denial. That's what the song is about in that you know the world won't bring us down, you can be as happy as Larry inside your house with your boyfriend or lover, but as soon as you step outside you're in the real world and you have to deal with it. [6]

Critical reception

Digital Spy music editor Nick Levine rated "Under the Sheets" four out of five stars, writing that it is "that bit more magical than the average electropop tune, managing to sound twinkly and chunky at the same time, and the chorus is pretty much irresistible." He also described Goulding's voice as "pure, girlish and as fluttery as a butterfly trapped in a cupboard." [2] The Guardian reviewer Alexis Petridis called it "a mildly anxious relationship memoir made over with digitised strings, breeze-block synths and crashing 1980s drums." [7]

Fraser McAlpine of the BBC Chart Blog praised the track as an "immaculate frostypop masterpiece" and stated, "From the first 'like all the boys, boys, boys, boys' to the final go around on the pleading chorus, Ellie's voice dominates. There is barely a second of music which does not feature her vocal in some way, either as a muffled pixie choir, a lead instrument, or a soft, tumbledown wail in the background." [8] Mark Beaumont from the NME cited the song as one of Lights' "spangliest tracks" along with "Starry Eyed", further commenting that it sees Goulding "in more bruised and bitter mood as producer Starsmith feeds her vulnerable vocals through an Auto-Tune the size of the Large Hadron Collider." [9]

Music video

The music video for "Under the Sheets" was directed by the Lennox Brothers and released on 22 October 2009. [10] [11] It opens with Goulding's hands playing a drum, to her with a black background, then leaving a bed occupied by an unknown male and walking through a brick building surrounded by different versions of herself. She can be seen sitting on the floor, playing guitar, writing her lyrics in her socks, riding a vintage bicycle and swinging in a hanging chair all simultaneously. She is also seen playing drums covered in glitter, and while sitting in a wicker chair a close shot of Goulding's hand with a heart drawn on the inside of her fingers is shown with her fingers opening and closing. Throughout the video Goulding wears a sequin top and high-top kicks and a plain shirt.

Track listings

UK digital download – EP [4]
No.TitleLength
1."Under the Sheets"3:46
2."Fighter Plane"4:24
3."Under the Sheets" (Jakwob Remix)5:36
4."Under the Sheets" (Pariah Remix)4:50
UK 7" limited edition single
No.TitleLength
1."A. Under the Sheets"3:46
2."B. Fighter Plane"4:24
German digital download and CD single [12] [13]
No.TitleLength
1."Under the Sheets"3:44
2."Guns and Horses" (Live at Metropolis Studios)3:48

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lights. [14]

Charts

Chart (2009–10)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [15] 3
Denmark Airplay (Tracklisten) [16] 2
Germany (Official German Charts) [17] 91
Scotland (OCC) [18] 58
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 53

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom [4] [20] 9 November 2009 7" single Neon Gold
15 November 2009 Digital download Polydor
Belgium [21] Universal
Germany [13] [22] 3 September 2010
17 September 2010 CD single

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Song</span> 1970 single by Elton John

"Your Song" is a song written by musician Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Loving Kind</span> 2009 single by Girls Aloud

"The Loving Kind" is a song by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control (2008). The song was written by Pet Shop Boys, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as a "synth-pop ballad", "The Loving Kind" was originally written for inclusion on Pet Shop Boys' Yes (2009) before being given to Girls Aloud. Upon its release in January 2009, "The Loving Kind" peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart, thereby continuing their six-year streak of top-ten hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Goulding</span> British singer (born 1986)

Elena Jane Goulding is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single "Under the Sheets" through Neon Gold Records in 2009, and signed with Polydor Records that same year, releasing her debut extended play (EP) An Introduction to Ellie Goulding. Her debut studio album, Lights (2010), debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and was reissued as Bright Lights, spawning three successful singles: a cover of Elton John's "Your Song", "Starry Eyed" and "Lights". Her second studio album Halcyon (2012) was preceded by its lead single "Anything Could Happen", and a repackaged edition titled Halcyon Days (2013) produced the single "Burn", which became her first No. 1 single in the UK. She then collaborated with DJ Calvin Harris on two singles: "I Need Your Love" and "Outside".

Finlay Dow-Smith, known professionally as Starsmith, is a British songwriter, record producer and DJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2010 single by Ellie Goulding

"Starry Eyed" is a song by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released as the second single from her debut studio album, Lights (2010). It was written by Goulding and Jonny Lattimer, and produced by Starsmith. Goulding made her debut US television performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 7 April 2011 performing "Starry Eyed".

<i>Lights</i> (Ellie Goulding album) 2010 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Lights is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 26 February 2010 by Polydor Records. Goulding collaborated with several producers on the album, including Starsmith, Fraser T. Smith, Frankmusik, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Ash Howes, Liam Howe, Fred Falke and Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guns and Horses</span> 2010 single by Ellie Goulding

"Guns and Horses" is a song by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from her debut studio album, Lights (2010). The song was released digitally on 16 May 2010 and physically the day after as the album's third single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Goulding discography</span>

English singer Ellie Goulding has released five studio albums, two remix albums, eight extended plays, 47 singles, 13 promotional singles and 49 music videos. As of February 2023, Goulding had sold 27 million albums and 216 million singles, and amassed 43 billion streams worldwide. Additionally, she had sold over 1.5 million albums and over 4.3 million singles in the United Kingdom alone as of February 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Writer (song)</span> 2010 single by Ellie Goulding

"The Writer" is a song by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on 8 August 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lights (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2011 single by Ellie Goulding

"Lights" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from Bright Lights (2010), the reissue of her debut studio album, Lights (2010). Written by Goulding, Richard Stannard and Ash Howes, the song was inspired by Goulding's childhood fear of the dark. It was released on 13 March 2011 as the album's sixth single overall, and second from Bright Lights. Originally a bonus track on the UK and German iTunes edition of Lights, the song was re-edited for inclusion on Bright Lights in late 2010, serving as the single version.

<i>Halcyon</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Halcyon is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 5 October 2012 by Polydor Records. The album was recorded between 2011 and 2012, during promotion for her debut album, Lights (2010). Goulding worked with several producers on the album, including Jim Eliot, Starsmith, Billboard, Justin Parker, Monsta, Madeon and Mike Spencer, in addition to collaborating with artists such as Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anything Could Happen</span> 2012 single by Ellie Goulding

"Anything Could Happen" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her second studio album, Halcyon (2012). It was released on 17 August 2012 as the album's lead single. Written and produced by Goulding and Jim Eliot of English electropop duo Kish Mauve, the song received positive reviews from music critics. "Anything Could Happen" peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, "Anything Could Happen" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Poland, the top 20 of the charts in Australia, the Czech Republic Ireland and New Zealand and the top 50 of the charts in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2013 single by Ellie Goulding

"Burn" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from Halcyon Days (2013), the reissue of her second studio album, Halcyon (2012). The song was written by Ryan Tedder, Goulding, Greg Kurstin, Noel Zancanella and Brent Kutzle, while production was handled by Kurstin and vocal production was done by Tedder. It was released on 5 July 2013 as the lead single from the reissue. The song was originally recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her third studio album, Glassheart (2012), but it was ultimately scrapped.

<i>Halcyon Days</i> (Ellie Goulding album) 2013 studio album (reissue) by Ellie Goulding

Halcyon Days is the reissue of English singer Ellie Goulding's second studio album, Halcyon (2012). It was released on 23 August 2013 by Polydor Records. Following the release of Halcyon, Goulding announced that she had plans to repackage the original album, with new songs that focused on electronic music. For the reissue, Goulding recorded 10 new songs and worked with a variety of producers, including Ryan Tedder, Calvin Harris and Greg Kurstin, to create her desired sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodness Gracious</span> 2014 single by Ellie Goulding

"Goodness Gracious" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from Halcyon Days (2013), the reissue of her second studio album, Halcyon (2012). The song was written by Greg Kurstin, Goulding and Nate Ruess. It was released on 21 February 2014 as the third and final single from the reissue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beating Heart (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2014 single by Ellie Goulding

"Beating Heart" is a song recorded by English singer Ellie Goulding for the soundtrack to the film Divergent (2014). The song was written by Goulding and Joe Janiak, and produced by Greg Kurstin. It was released on 22 April 2014 as the second single from the soundtrack.

<i>Delirium</i> (Ellie Goulding album) 2015 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2016 single by Ellie Goulding

"Army" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from her third studio album, Delirium (2015). The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States on 19 April 2016 as the album's third single in North America, and second overall on 15 January 2016.

<i>Brightest Blue</i> 2020 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Brightest Blue is the fourth studio album by English singer Ellie Goulding, released on 17 July 2020 by Polydor Records. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was preceded by three singles: "Worry About Me", "Power" and "Slow Grenade", and features guest vocals from Blackbear, Diplo, Juice WRLD, Lauv, serpentwithfeet and Swae Lee. It is Goulding's first album since Delirium (2015). Brightest Blue received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album was also a commercial success. It became Goulding's third album to peak at number one on the UK Albums Chart and fourth album to debut inside the top three on the chart. The album also peaked inside the top ten in several other countries. To promote the album, Goulding was set to embark on the Brightest Blue Tour on 28 April 2021, but it was pushed back to 5 October 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ Renshaw, David (25 February 2010). "Ellie Goulding – Lights". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 Levine, Nick (16 November 2009). "Ellie Goulding: 'Under The Sheets'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "Neon Gold Beat Company: WRONG FROM THE START". Neon Gold Records. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009. In other news, the wonderful Huw Stephens will be premiering 'Under The Sheets' [...] on Radio 1 tonight.
  4. 1 2 3 "Under the Sheets – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple. January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Ellie Goulding's spiritual home". BBC News Wales. BBC News Online. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Under The Sheets by Ellie Goulding". Songfacts. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  7. ↑ Petrides, Alexis (25 February 2010). "Ellie Goulding: Lights". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  8. ↑ McAlpine, Fraser (16 November 2009). "Ellie Goulding – 'Under The Sheets'". BBC Chart Blog. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  9. ↑ Beaumont, Mark (28 February 2010). "Album review: Ellie Goulding – 'Lights' (Polydor)". NME . IPC Media . Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  10. ↑ Knight, David (29 October 2009). "Ellie Goulding's Under The Sheets by Lennox Brothers". Promo News. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  11. ↑ "Ellie Goulding – Under the Sheets (2009)". IMVDb. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Under the Sheets (2-Track)" (in German). Amazon.de . Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  13. 1 2 "Under the Sheets – Single by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store Germany. Apple. January 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  14. ↑ Lights (CD liner notes). Ellie Goulding. Polydor Records. 2010. 2732799.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ "Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  16. ↑ "Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets" (in Danish). Tracklisten. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  17. ↑ "Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  19. ↑ "Ellie Goulding: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "Neon Gold Beat Company: LIKE ALL THE BOYS BEFORE". Neon Gold Records. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  21. ↑ "Under the Sheets – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store Belgium. Apple. January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  22. ↑ "ELLIE GOULDING | Under The Sheets" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.