Home · Songs · Ed Sheeran · Photograph
From album
×
Ed Sheeran
Details
TonalidadE
Compás4/4
Tempo108 BPM
Duración4:18
Álbum×
ISRCGBAHS1400094
If you like this, try
The story behind
The story behind *Photograph* is that of a creative encounter that began with a simple piano loop. Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid, a member of Snow Patrol, were working together in 2012. McDaid had a three-note melodic idea on the piano, and Sheeran, while humming "loving can hurt, loving can hurt", began to give vocal shape to that foundation. The composition progressed fluidly, almost like a game, while Sheeran assembled Lego pieces and McDaid worked on his computer. In about four hours, they picked up a guitar and structured the song, completing it in just half an hour. It was the next day, upon hearing it again, that they realized the power of what they had created. Sheeran would go on to polish the lyrics in Denver, Colorado.
This piece became the first song that Ed Sheeran considered "completely" finished for his second album, × (Multiply). The recording process was extensive; it is estimated that between 60 and 70 different versions were recorded, exploring everything from live performances to piano arrangements. However, none of these initial versions, including those they worked on with Jake Gosling or even with Rick Rubin, fully convinced Sheeran. Seeking a more defined sound, he turned to the production of Jeff Bhasker. This collaboration resulted in a version that Bhasker spent several months perfecting, adding layers and details. Emile Haynie also contributed additional production to the final version we hear on the album, released in 2014. The song, a folk-pop ballad, is primarily based on acoustic guitar, piano, and programmed percussion, and was released as the fifth and final single from the album on June 23, 2014, although its music video, a compilation of Sheeran's childhood home footage, premiered much later, on May 9, 2015.
0:00