Afterglow
A stripped-back winter hymn built on circular acoustic picking and ethereal vocal layers. It captures the stillness of a shared romantic moment in the cold.
December 21, 2020 · Atlantic Records UK
A stripped-back winter hymn built on circular acoustic picking and ethereal vocal layers. It captures the stillness of a shared romantic moment in the cold.
December 21, 2020 · Atlantic Records UK
Afterglow is the sonic equivalent of a heavy wool blanket on a freezing December afternoon. It represents a significant departure from the high-gloss, rhythmic pop that dominated Sheeran's previous era, opting instead for a raw, one-take intimacy that feels both fragile and enduring. The track is anchored by a circular, hypnotic acoustic guitar riff that never rushes, allowing the listener to settle into the quietude of the scene he describes. It is a song about the beauty of the mundane: two people simply existing in a moment while the rest of the world fades into the background.
How does Afterglow sound next to the rest of Ed Sheeran's catalogue?
Winter saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.
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