Afire Love

"Afire Love" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for his second studio album, × (2014). The song is about Sheeran's late grandfather who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. The record, which was produced by Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid, samples elements of "Remembering Jenny" composed by Christophe Beck for the soundtrack to the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"Afire Love"
Promotional single by Ed Sheeran
from the album ×
Released16 June 2014 (2014-06-16)
Genre
Length5:14
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Johnny McDaid

The song was released as an "instant grat" digital download to the iTunes Store on 16 June 2014, serving as the third of seven promotional singles from ×. Due to high streaming rates, all of the album's 12 tracks including "Afire Love" charted in the United Kingdom.

Background and composition

The song is about Sheeran's late grandfather who suffered from Alzheimer's disease for 20 years.[1][2] He died of the disease in December 2013, two weeks after Sheeran began writing about it.[3] Sheeran finished writing the song at his grandfather's funeral.[2] Prior to the release of the album, Sheeran had also paid tribute at the 2014 Grammy Awards, in which he wore a necktie belonging to his grandfather.[4]

The lyrics discusses Sheeran's reaction to the disease as a child all the way up until his grandfather's funeral. In the verses prior to the first chorus, Sheeran recounts the circumstances present upon his grandfather's disease. For instance, he sings the moment when his grandfather lost his capability of recognizing the face of his grandson: "My father told me, son/ It's not his fault he doesn't know your face/ And you're not the only one."[4] The chorus tells the "powerful love between his grandparents", in which his grandfather said to his grandmother: "Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut/ For they're designed to be together/ With your body next to mine, our hearts will beat as one/ And we're set alight, we're afire in love."[4] The song concludes with Sheeran and his family seemingly singing "hallelujah" at the funeral.[4]

Sheeran recorded "Afire Love" in Cocoloco studio in Los Angeles, and Sphere and Metropolis studios in London. It was produced by Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid, and engineered by Mcdaid and Geoff Swan. The track samples elements of "Remembering Jenny", which was composed by Christophe Beck for the soundtrack to the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[5] The ballad is piano-driven and has a "grooving" beat.[6]

Release and reception

The song was released as an "instant grat" digital download to the iTunes Store on 16 June 2014, serving as the third of seven promotional singles from his second studio album, × (2014). It was available for digital download upon pre-order of the album.[6] It topped the iTunes chart in the United States.[1]

Due to high streaming rates, "Afire Love" and the rest of the album's 12 tracks charted in the United Kingdom.[7] It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 71 and rose to number 59.

Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph describes "Afire Love" an "anthemic singalong".[8]

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from × liner notes:[5]

Charts
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 46
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 44
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 41
Denmark (Tracklisten)[12] 5
Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[13] 5
France (SNEP)[14] 37
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 82
Ireland (Ireland Digital Songs)[16] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 38
Portugal (Portugal Digital Songs)[18] 9
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] 40
Sweden (Sweden Digital Songs)[20] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 59
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 37

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[23] Gold 45,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 400,000
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Baillie, Katie (18 June 2014). "Ed Sheeran releases song about his grandfather's death (Warning: It will make you cry)". Metro. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  2. McLean, Craig (1 June 2014). "Ed Sheeran interview: 'I don't make music for critics'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  3. "Ed Sheeran Begins To Multiply". Noise11. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  4. Garibaldi, Christina (16 June 2014). "Grab Your Tissues, Ed Sheeran's 'Afire Love' Will Make You Bawl Your Eyes Out". Viacom International Inc. MTV. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  5. x (Media notes). Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 2014.
  6. "REVIEW: Ed Sheeran's New Song 'Afire Love' WIll Break Your Heart [LISTEN]". Music Times. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. Vincent, Alice (2 December 2014). "Ed Sheeran saves album sales". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  8. McCormick, Neil (24 June 2014). "Ed Sheeran, X, review: 'genuinely great'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  10. "Ultratop.be – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  11. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  12. "Danishcharts.com – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love". Tracklisten. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  13. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  14. "Lescharts.com – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  15. "Chart Track: Week 28, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
  16. "Ireland Digital Songs: July 5, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  18. "Portugal Digital Songs: July 5, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  19. "Spanishcharts.com – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  20. "Sweden Digital Songs: July 5, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  21. "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 – 12th July 2014". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  22. "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  23. "Ed Sheeran "One"". IFPI Denmark. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  24. "British single certifications – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Afire Love in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  25. "American single certifications – Ed Sheeran – Afire Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 February 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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