"Thinking Out Loud" is a song by English singer-songwriterEd Sheeran recorded for his second studio album,× (2014). It was written by Sheeran andAmy Wadge, and produced by frequent collaboratorJake Gosling. It was released in the US on 8 August 2014 as the album's third single.
In the UK, the song spent 19 weeks within the top 40 before peaking at number one in early November 2014; it became Sheeran's second number-one single there. The single has also reached the top spot in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, the Netherlands, Philippines Thailand Slovakia and South Africa, and peaked at number two on both the USBillboardHot 100 and theCanadian Hot 100. It was Sheeran's highest-charting single in North America until "Shape of You" topped the charts in both countries in 2017.
Sheeran wrote "Thinking Out Loud" withWales-based English singer-songwriterAmy Wadge(pictured).
Sheeran wrote "Thinking Out Loud" withAmy Wadge,[5] aWales-based singer-songwriter. He met Wadge when he was 17 years old and they had since written several songs together. Of these, five songs composed theextended playSongs I Wrote with Amy,[6] which Sheeran independently released on 4 April 2010. Wadge also co-wrote the song "Gold Rush", a track on the deluxe version of Sheeran's debut album,+ (2011).[5]
In February 2014, Wadge visited Sheeran at home for a "chilling-out time".[5] Around that time, Sheeran's second studio album,×, was nearly completed.[7] Wadge revealed that her visit was not supposed to be a songwriting session.[5] While Sheeran was taking a shower, Wadge played a fewchords on a guitar. The tune caught the attention of Sheeran and he ran downstairs. Sheeran suggested working with the tune, but only after returning home from dinner, work began.[5] The melody developed from a simpleriff. According to Sheeran, he composed the melody on a guitar in a manner which was "very Van-like", referring toVan Morrison. The Irish musician has been an inspiration to Sheeran since a young age, and Sheeran wanted to capture that vibe when he composed the song.[8]
In the kitchen,[9] Sheeran and Wadge began writing the song at 2:00am on 4 February 2014, and completed it in 20 minutes.[5] According to Wadge, the lyrical content resulted from her and Sheeran's talking about "everlasting love", inspired by the circumstances relevant at that time.[10] Sheeran also revealed that the lyrics were inspired by his then-girlfriend, Athina Andrelos,[11] whom Sheeran met in early 2014. Sheeran would later explain that he wrote the song "in a relationship at a really, really happy point".[12] Sheeran revealed that he also had his grandparents in mind and maintaining love in old age ("'til we're 70" in the lyrics), and the early version of the chorus was "I'm singing out now" before it became "I'm thinking out loud".[13] Immediately after writing, Sheeran recorded the song on his phone.[5] He was keen to include "Thinking Out Loud" on the second album. He properly recorded the song the following day at theSticky Studios, a recording facility located in the smallSurrey village ofWindlesham, and informed Wadge of its inclusion on the album.[5] It became the last song recorded for the album.[5] For "Thinking Out Loud", Sheeran sought the assistance ofJake Gosling, who produced much of his debut album and had earlier contributed tracks, four of which appear on the standard version of the second album.
"Thinking Out Loud" is a romanticballad[14][15] withblue-eyed soul influences.[1] Sheeran referred to it as a "walking down the aisle song".[16] In the lyrics, Sheeran reflects on "getting older and fidelity and love in a fairly conventional context", according to Eric Clarke, professor of music atUniversity of Oxford.[17]
The song was composed in the key ofD major with atempo of 79 beats per minute.[18] Sheeran's vocals range fromB2 toA4.[19] In the mix, Sheeran's voice is "unusually" loud over the instruments, which, for Mike Senior of the music technology magazine,Sound on Sound, is "surprisingly rare" in contemporary records.[20] Senior analysed the vocal elements in which he found that, in spite of several notes sung offpitch, "the overall framework of the vocal remains fundamentally in tune".[20]
Journalists noted similarities between "Thinking Out Loud" and "Let's Get It On", a 1973 single by soul musicianMarvin Gaye. Andrew Unterberger ofSpin wrote that "the gently loping four-note bass pattern and crisp '70s soul drums absolutely smack of the Gaye classic, as do the embrace-insistent lyrics and general candlelit-bedroom feel".[21] Jason Lipshutz ofBillboard called it a "sleek update" of the classic.[22]
Prior to the album release, Sheeran debuted "Thinking Out Loud" on 24 May 2014 by performing it live on the British music television show,Later... with Jools Holland. The debut followed the release of the video accompaniment to "Sing", the album's lead single. "Thinking Out Loud" was immediately perceived as having contrast to "Sing", which is a "high-energy funk/R&B-infused song".[15][23] "Thinking Out Loud" became available on 18 June 2014 as an "instant grat"download for consumers who pre-ordered× on the iTunes Store. It served as a promotional single from×, which was released two days later. On the standard version of the album, "Thinking Out Loud" is the next-to-last track,[8] the last being "Afire Love".
"Thinking Out Loud" was initially serviced to Australian radio on 14 August 2014 and later released on 24 September 2014. It served as the third of five singles released from the album; it followed the songs, "Sing" and "Don't", the first and second single respectively. According to Sheeran, no one from his record label wanted to release "Thinking Out Loud" as a single, favouring over "Photograph" as the "big song".[12] "Photograph" was supposed to be the main single, but when "Thinking Out Loud" spent several weeks within the top 20 on theUK Singles Chart albeit not receivingrotation,[24] the latter song was kept as the third single. "Photograph" was later released as the fifth and final single. "Thinking Out Loud" was issued on7" vinyl exclusively as part of the Black FridayRecord Store Day, which was celebrated on 28 November 2014.[25] The vinyl record included, as a B-side, the live version of "I'm A Mess" which Sheeran performed at the Lightship 95 studio.[26] On 26 December 2015, Sheeran released anIrish-language version of "Thinking Out Loud" for the Irish albumCEOL 2016.[27]
Lauren Murphy ofThe Irish Times noted that the "injection of blue-eyed soul" on the song is "enjoyable", and that it "makes Sheeran's aptitude for melody difficult to dismiss".[28] Jim Beviglia of theAmerican Songwriter thought that although "tidy", "Thinking Out Loud" comes "toothless" compared with the "daring confessionals" Sheeran made on the other songs.[29]
The Washington Post writer, Allison Stewart, has hailed the song as "a blatant and mercilessly effective bid for 'I'll Be'-style wedding-song immortality".[30]Billboard magazine's Jason Lipshutz, commented that Sheeran "pushes this bold stab at romance past its sappiest moments, and ends the album on a likable note".[22] Jamieson Cox ofTime wrote that "the album's greatest moment by a country mile is relegated to its penultimate slot", referring to "Thinking Out Loud".[31]
"Thinking Out Loud" topped several charts in Europe, Oceania and South Africa, and reached the top ten in several other countries in North America (seeWeekly charts below). Upon the album's release, the single debuted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. On 2 November 2014, "Thinking Out Loud" topped the UK Singles Chart in its 19th week in the Top 40, becoming Sheeran's second UK number one and breaking the record for the longest ascent to number one.[32] In the week ending 27 June 2015, it had spent a record consecutive 52 weeks (or a full year) inside the top 40.[33] Around the same time, the single had accumulated 1.65 million combined sales and streams; it became one of the 161 million-selling singles and the 26th best-selling of the 2010s in the UK.[34] On 18 September 2015, theBritish Phonographic Industry certified the single triple platinum for combined sales (including streaming points) of 1,800,000 units.[35] As of September 2017, the song has sold 1,219,000 copies with 130 million streams, making a total of 2,521,000 units sold in the United Kingdom.[36] In February 2025, its certification was upgraded to octuple platinum, denoting sales and streams of over 4,800,000.[35]
In the US, "Thinking Out Loud" peaked at number two on the all-encompassing chartBillboard Hot 100; the single became Sheeran's highest-charting single until the release of "Shape of You" in 2017. It remained the runner-up spot for eight consecutive weeks, a chart feat last held in 2004.[37] "Thinking Out Loud" was kept off the top spot by "Uptown Funk", although it outperformed the latter song for a week in February 2015 on theBillboardDigital Songs.[38] On other specific US charts, "Thinking Out Loud" reached number one on theBillboardAdult Pop Songs for the week ending 21 February 2015, marking Sheeran's first.[39] For the week ending 21 March 2015, "Thinking Out Loud" held the top position on theBillboardPop Songs, Adult Pop Songs, andAdult Contemporary charts, becoming the fourth song in history to lead all three adult charts simultaneously.[40] In celebration ofGoogle Play's fifth anniversary, Google announced "Thinking Out Loud" as the top-selling song on the platform.[41] "Thinking Out Loud" is Sheeran's best-selling song in the United States, with 5,622,000 copies sold as of September 2017.[42]
In the UK, Sheeran's native country, "Thinking Out Loud" claimed the record for the most streams in a single week in December 2014. The track accumulated over 1,638,000 streams,[43] and subsequently achieved a personal best of 1,850,000 streams in the week ending 21 December 2014. This record has since been broken by several songs.
In April 2015, the song ranked as the most popular based on the 2.8 million sleep-themed playlists created by Spotify users.[44] Sleep is one of the company's most popular categories that, according to Spotify, "people also use for general relaxation and to help themselves unwind".[45][46]The Guardian columnistTim Dowling suggested that the report indicated "very popular, slightly mellow songs that keep cropping up on sleep playlists" but not a list of a "carefully curated journey to unconsciousness".[47]
In October 2015, "Thinking Out Loud" set the record of moststreams of a song onSpotify, having accumulated over 500 million streams.[48] The company created the "Sheerio Index", an interactive graphic map which showed where Sheeran was most popular. The colour-based map indicated that Sheeran was most popular in Denmark.[48] It was surpassed a month later by "Lean On", a song byMajor Lazer andDJ Snake featuringMØ.[49]
Filming of the video took place at the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
Emil Nava directed the video accompaniment to the single. Most of it was filmed in the Crystal Ballroom at theMillennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The video was shot continuously using a16 mm film camera.[50]
Unlike Sheeran's earlier videos, where he assumed a low profile, he took the lead role on "Thinking Out Loud". In the video, Sheeran executes acontemporary dance withBrittany Cherry, a contestant from the televised American dance competition,So You Think You Can Dance.[51] The routine was choreographed byNappytabs and with training help fromPaul Karmiryan. While on concert tour, Sheeran spent five hours a day for three weeks to practice with Cherry.[12]
The video was released on 7 October 2014. After the first 24 hours, the video had over 2.7 million views on video-sharing website,YouTube.[51] As of September 2025, it has 3.9 billion views,[52] making it the28th most viewed video on the site.[53] The music video received four nominations at the2015 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.[54]
On 28 April 2015 episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, actorJeremy Renner, known for his role asHawkeye in theAvengers movies, performed on piano and sang a song captioned by Fallon's show onYouTube as "Hawkeye Sings About His Super Powers". While not parodying Sheeran's lyrics, it is sung to the same tune. The lyrics suggest that Hawkeye feels defensive compared with the other Avengers as he was the only mortally human one in a team of superhuman or enhanced heroes: "But listen, I've got powers too; they're pretty sweet. / I promise I can do so much more than just archery ... / I can open a pickle jar. / I'm friggin' Hawkeye. / Maybe I'm as super as they are."[61]
The song and video were also parodied in theCW seriesCrazy Ex-Girlfriend. Titled "Let's Have Intercourse", the song was sung byScott Michael Foster withRachel Bloom appearing in the scene dancing with Foster in the same manner as Sheeran and Cherry. The lyrics are an appeal by Foster'scharacter, Nathaniel Plimpton III, to series protagonist Rebecca Bunch (Bloom) to have sexwhilst trapped in an elevator.[62]
On 10 August 2016, it was announced that the family ofEd Townsend, who co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", was suing Sheeran, alleging that "the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of 'Thinking' are substantially and/or strikingly similar to the drum composition of 'Let's [Get It On]'."[63] The case was dismissed without prejudice in February 2017.[64] Two years later, on 28 June 2018, Ed Sheeran was again sued on similar grounds, this time for $100 million in damages by Structured Asset Sales, owners of one-third of the copyright to "Let's Get It On".[65] The case was heard by a jury in New York City in 2023, which found in favor of Sheeran.[66][67]
Sheeran's defence rests on the argument that, while the two songs have similar "building blocks" and a specific chord progression in particular, such features are true for many pop songs.[68] After winning the trial, Sheeran said: "These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before 'Let's Get It On' was written and will be used to create music long after we are all gone."[69]
In June 2025, theUS Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Structured Asset Sales ending the legal dispute.[70]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
Canadiancountry singerChad Brownlee recorded a cover version and released it as a single in 2015.[191][192] He also released a video of himself performing the song.[193]
American singer/songwriterTaylor Dayne recorded the song for her 2024EPThe Capitol Sessions. It was released as the lead single from the EP in October 2023.[197]
^Gettell, Oliver (27 October 2015). "Ed Sheeran's mega-hit 'Thinking Out Loud' helped pay his friend's mortgage".Entertainment Weekly.
^abKemp, Mark (14 November 2014). "Wayfaring Stranger No More: In less than five years, pop singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has become a household name".Acoustic Guitar.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Kennedy, John (23 June 2014). "VIBE Summer 2014 Cover Story: Ed Sheeran".Vibe.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Price, Karen (27 March 2015). "Co-writing Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out loud has changed my life, says Amy Wadge".Western Mail.
^McLean, Craig (16 July 2014). "Ed Sheeran interview: 'I don't make music for critics'".The Daily Telegraph.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^abcHibberd, James (20 May 2015). "Ed Sheeran answers our 36 questions".Entertainment Weekly. p. 2.
^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts".Media Forest.Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: insert 201504 into search. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201504 into search. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
^"MAHASZ Stream TOP 100 - 2014" (in Hungarian). Association of Hungarian Record Companies.Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved14 January 2017.
^"IRMA - Best of Singles". IRMA Charts. Irish Record Music Association.Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved30 December 2014.
^"MAHASZ Stream TOP 100 - 2015" (in Hungarian). Association of Hungarian Record Companies.Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved8 January 2017.
^"IRMA - Best of Singles". IRMA Charts. Irish Record Music Association.Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved14 January 2017.
^"Årslista Singlar – År 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Swedish Recording Industry Association.Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved15 January 2017.
