It’s safe to say that Ed Sheeran made the right decision when he chose to keep Shape Of You for himself as opposed to pitching it to other artists (Rihanna was one that he had in mind). Released as one of two lead singles from his 2017 album, ÷ (Divide), Shape Of You has gone on to become one of the biggest hits of Sheeran’s career, peaking at #1 on almost 50 charts throughout the world.

So what is it about the song that made it so successful? Among the many factors are its numerous hook centers, engaging narrative, and especially the clever fusion of the familiar and the atypical, which enables Shape Of You to easily connect with a wide audience while standing out from many of its contemporaries.

Shape Of You Deconstructed takes you on a deep dive into the myriad of songwriting and production techniques that contributed to the song’s global success.

Hit Songs Deconstructed reports take a deep dive into the what, how and why behind a current chart-topping hit. These exceptionally comprehensive reports feature a combination of impartial data and insightful analysis illustrated through charts, graphs, and notation.

Based on the Hit Songs Deconstructed PRO report, Essentials delivers high-level takeaways through insightful analysis illustrated with charts, graphs and notation, providing readers with an in-depth understanding of the hit songwriting and production techniques involved in crafting the song.