| "Under the Sheets" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byEllie Goulding | ||||
| from the albumLights | ||||
| B-side | "Fighter Plane" | |||
| Released | 9 November 2009 (2009-11-9) | |||
| Genre | Electropop[1][2] | |||
| Length | 3:44 | |||
| Label | Neon Gold | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Starsmith | |||
| Ellie Goulding singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
.png) German cover | ||||
"Under the Sheets" is the debut single by English singer and songwriterEllie Goulding from her debut album,Lights (2010). Produced byStarsmith, it was released as the album's lead single. The song premiered onHuw Stephens'sBBC Radio 1 show on 30 September 2009[3] and was released on the UKiTunes Store on 15 November 2009,[4] peaking at number fifty-three on theUK Singles Chart. It was also used to promote thesecond season of90210 onE4 in the UK. According to Goulding, the single was released on independent labelNeon Gold Records rather thanPolydor so that she would not be put under too much pressure.[5]
Speaking to DJSteve Lamacq on hisBBC 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]
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 averageelectropop 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 reviewerAlexis Petridis called it "a mildly anxious relationship memoir made over with digitised strings, breeze-block synths and crashing 1980s drums."[7]
Fraser McAlpine of theBBC 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 theNME cited the song as one ofLights' "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 anAuto-Tune the size of theLarge Hadron Collider."[9]
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.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A. Under the Sheets" | 3:46 |
| 2. | "B. Fighter Plane" | 4:24 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Under the Sheets" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Guns and Horses" (Live atMetropolis Studios) | 3:48 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes ofLights.[14]
| Chart (2009–10) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[15] | 3 |
| Denmark Airplay (Tracklisten)[16] | 2 |
| Germany (GfK)[17] | 91 |
| Scotland (OCC)[18] | 58 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 53 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
In other news, the wonderful Huw Stephens will be premiering 'Under The Sheets' [...] on Radio 1 tonight.
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