"The A Team" is the first single by English singer Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on June 10, 2011. The song is the lead track from his debut album, "+," which came out in 2011. "The A Team" is a folk ballad, a type of song that tells a story with acoustic music, about a homeless woman who is addicted to crack cocaine, a Class A drug. Ed Sheeran wrote the song after visiting a homeless shelter and hearing stories from people who had lived difficult lives. He also wrote the song after performing at an event for the homeless at the last minute. The chorus of "The A Team" was later used in another song called "Little Lady," which includes a guest artist named Mikill Pane. "Little Lady" is part of an EP titled No. 5 Collaborations Project.
The song reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It first appeared at number three on the UK Singles Chart, with 57,607 copies sold. The song was sent to radio stations in the United States in late 2012 and became a sleeper hit, slowly rising on the Billboard Hot 100 to reach number 16. This was Ed Sheeran's first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 5, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, which was Sheeran's first Grammy nomination. At the 2012 Brit Awards, it was also nominated for Best British Single.
Background and release
Ed Sheeran explained that the song was inspired by an experience he had during a concert at a homeless shelter. He said, "I was 18 at the time and not very experienced. I was surprised by some of the stories I heard there. […] I wanted the song to sound happy-sounding so people wouldn’t immediately know it was about something serious." In a 2011 interview with Absolute Radio, he mentioned the song was based on the story of a woman named Angel at the shelter, which is why the lyrics include the line "Angels to fly." When speaking to Billboard, he explained the title: "Crack cocaine is called a 'Class A drug,' which is the same category as heroin. Instead of directly saying what the problem was, I used the phrase 'She's in the 'Class A' team.'" The single was released in the UK on May 1, 2011, by Atlantic Records. In the United States, "The A Team" was played on adult alternative radio stations on February 27, 2012.
Composition
According to sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing, the song "The A Team" is written in 4/4 time with a tempo of 170 beats per minute. The song is in the key of A major, and Ed Sheeran's vocals span from the note A2 to A4. The instrumentation includes guitar, piano, and vocals. "The A Team" is classified as a folk song. Gary Trust from Billboard compared the song to other folk/rock songs such as Suzanne Vega's "Luka" (about child abuse), 10,000 Maniacs' "Like the Weather" (about depression), and Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" (about alcoholism), noting that these songs use melodies to address serious issues. Ryan Reed from the publication described the song as a jazz-folk piece.
Critical reception
"The A Team" was highly praised by critics. Mark Moore from Contactmusic.com gave the single a score of 7 out of 10, describing it as a "beautiful melodic track" with "dark lyrical content." Critics also admired Ed Sheeran's singing. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy rated the song 5 out of 5 stars, noting that while the "man-and-his-guitar" style is common, Sheeran's "intelligent lyrics" and "soft vocals" make him stand out. He also highlighted Sheeran's "honest lyrics" and "emotional feelings that make people feel moved," which are supported by a "folky melody" and "unusual acoustic sounds."
Chart performance
The song "The A Team" first appeared on the UK Singles Chart at number three on June 19, 2011. It entered as the second highest new entry, behind Calvin Harris and Kelis's song "Bounce," which started at number two. "The A Team" remained at number three for four weeks, not every week. The song also reached number two on the Scottish Singles Chart. In the UK, "The A Team" became the best-selling debut single and the eighth best-selling single of 2011, selling 801,000 copies. By September 2017, the song had sold 1,119,000 copies and had 46 million streams, totaling 1,587,000 combined units.
In Australia, the song first appeared on the Australian Singles Chart at number thirty-two on October 23, 2011. It reached number two for two weeks and was certified 10-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales and streams totaling 700,000 units. In New Zealand, the song entered the chart at number thirty-eight on November 21, 2011, and peaked at number three. It received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for selling 15,000 copies. The song also reached number three on the Irish Singles Chart.
After being played on radio in the United States, "The A Team" first appeared on Billboard's Adult Pop Songs chart at number thirty-eight. It debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later reached number 16, becoming Ed Sheeran's first top 20 hit on that chart. The song also peaked at number 29 on the Canadian Hot 100. As of February 2015, "The A Team" had sold 2.3 million copies in the United States.
Music video
The music video for the song was created and edited by Ruskin Kyle from Rivers Rush Video Production Company. During an interview with 96.1 KISS, Ed Sheeran explained that he first made a demo of the song by recording it on his Mac computer and making a video version, as he did not have a recorder before. The original versions of "The A Team" were recorded this way but were not shared with the public. When asked about the inspiration for the Grammy-nominated song, Sheeran said it was written about a woman he met at a homeless shelter.
The video was filmed around Angel tube station in Islington, London, and was posted on YouTube on April 22, 2010. It tells the story of a young woman, played by Selina MacDonald, who struggles with drug use. She is shown trying to earn money by selling The Big Issue magazine on London streets and even sells one to Sheeran. Her financial and personal challenges lead her to sell sex to buy crack. The video ends with her dying alone in her room from drug use, which is shown at the beginning with a grieving woman standing beside her body. An acoustic version of the song was later uploaded to Ed Sheeran’s official YouTube channel on May 10, 2011.
Live performances
Ed Sheeran performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 30, 2012, and on the talk show Conan on May 8, 2012. Sheeran performed an acoustic version of the song live at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Queen Elizabeth II on June 4, 2012. Sheeran performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show along with "Grade 8" on October 4, 2012, and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" on December 19, 2012. Sheeran also performed "The A Team" as a duet with Elton John at the 2013 Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013.
Cover versions
In July 2011, Birdy performed the song at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Luca Hänni, the winner of the ninth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, sang the song during the Top 16 show on February 25, 2012. Kendall Schmidt from Big Time Rush shared a cover of the song on YouTube in June. On June 17, 2012, during One Direction's Up All Night Tour, member Niall Horan performed the song at Anaheim's The Theatre at Honda Center. X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan used the music from the song and rewrote the lyrics from the man's point of view, creating a version called "The B Team." X Factor Indonesia contestant Mikha Angelo performed the song during the third gala show. The Jonas Brothers also covered the song during their Latin America tour. In 2013, the French movie "Les Gamins" included a cover version by St John's International School choir in its soundtrack. On January 19, 2013, singer Masha posted a cover of the song on her YouTube channel. As of November 2013, her video had nearly 50,000 views. In January 2013, YouTube stars Andy Lange and Chester See made a cover on Lange's channel. The video currently has over 140,000 views.