{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}} {{Use British English|date=February 2015}} {{Infobox song | name = Under the Sheets | cover = Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets.png | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Ellie Goulding]] | album = [[Lights (Ellie Goulding album)|Lights]] | B-side = Fighter Plane | released = {{Start date|2009|11|09|df=yes}} | recorded = | studio = | genre = [[Electropop]]<ref name="DiS">{{cite web |last=Renshaw |first=David |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15141/reviews/4139215 |title=Ellie Goulding – Lights |website=[[Drowned in Sound]] |date=25 February 2010 |access-date= 13 January 2024|archive-date=6 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006181104/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15141/reviews/4139215 |url-status=live}}</ref> | length = 3:44 | label = [[Neon Gold Records|Neon Gold]] | writer = * Ellie Goulding * [[Starsmith]] | producer = Starsmith | next_title = [[Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding song)|Starry Eyed]] | next_year = 2010 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover | type = single | cover = Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets (Germany).png | alt = | caption = German cover }} {{External music video|{{YouTube|Navl4fYI-Zk|"Under the Sheets"}}}} }}
"'''Under the Sheets'''" is a song by English singer and songwriter [[Ellie Goulding]] from her debut album, ''[[Lights (Ellie Goulding album)|Lights]]'' (2010). Produced by [[Starsmith]], it was released as the album's lead single and her debut single. The song premiered on [[Huw Stephens]]'s [[BBC Radio 1]] show on 30 September 2009<ref>{{cite web |url=http://neongoldrecords.com/wrong-from-the-start/ |title=Neon Gold Beat Company: WRONG FROM THE START. |publisher=[[Neon Gold Records]] |date=30 September 2009 |access-date=11 December 2009 |quote=In other news, the wonderful Huw Stephens will be premiering 'Under The Sheets' [...] on Radio 1 tonight. |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303082852/http://neongoldrecords.com/wrong-from-the-start/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was released on the UK [[iTunes Store]] on 15 November 2009, peaking at number fifty-three on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. It was also used to promote the [[90210 (season 2)|second season of ''90210'']] on [[E4 (TV channel)|E4]] in the UK. According to Goulding, the single was released on independent label [[Neon Gold Records]] rather than [[Polydor Records|Polydor]] so that she would not be put under too much pressure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/midwales/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8362000/8362162.stm |title=Ellie Goulding's spiritual home |publisher=[[BBC Cymru Wales|BBC News Wales]]. [[BBC News Online]] |date=17 November 2009 |access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref>
==Background== Speaking to DJ [[Steve Lamacq]] on his [[BBC Radio 2]] show, Goulding said of "Under the Sheets":
<blockquote>["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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=17941 |title=Under The Sheets by Ellie Goulding |publisher=Songfacts |access-date=14 December 2009}}</ref></blockquote>
==Critical reception== [[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 average [[electropop]] 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."<ref name="DS 2009">{{cite web |last=Levine |first=Nick |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/review/a186087/ellie-goulding-under-the-sheets.html |title=Ellie Goulding: 'Under The Sheets' |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=16 November 2009 |access-date=19 December 2009}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' reviewer [[Alexis Petridis]] called it "a mildly anxious relationship memoir made over with digitised strings, breeze-block synths and crashing 1980s drums."<ref>{{cite web |last=Petrides |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Petridis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/25/ellie-goulding-lights-cd-review |title=Ellie Goulding: Lights |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=25 February 2010 |access-date=20 June 2010}}</ref>
Fraser McAlpine of the [[BBC]] 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."<ref>{{cite web |last=McAlpine |first=Fraser |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2009/11/ellie_goulding_under_the_sheet.shtml |title=Ellie Goulding – 'Under The Sheets' |publisher=[[BBC]] Chart Blog |date=16 November 2009 |access-date=19 December 2009}}</ref> Mark Beaumont from the ''[[NME]]'' cited the song as one of ''Lights''{{'}} "spangliest tracks" along with "[[Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding song)|Starry Eyed]]", further commenting that it sees Goulding "in more bruised and bitter mood as producer Starsmith feeds her vulnerable vocals through an [[Auto-Tune]] the size of the [[Large Hadron Collider]]."<ref>{{cite web |last=Beaumont |first=Mark |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/ellie-goulding/11086 |title=Album review: Ellie Goulding – 'Lights' (Polydor) |work=[[NME]] |publisher=[[IPC Media]] |date=28 February 2010 |access-date=20 June 2010}}</ref>
==Music video== The music video for "Under the Sheets" was directed by the Lennox Brothers and released on 22 October 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Knight |first=David |url=http://www.promonews.tv/videos/2009/10/29/ellie-goulding’s-under-sheets-lennox-brothers |title=Ellie Goulding's Under The Sheets by Lennox Brothers |publisher=Promo News |date=29 October 2009 |access-date=1 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117130345/http://www.promonews.tv/videos/2009/10/29/ellie-goulding%E2%80%99s-under-sheets-lennox-brothers |archive-date=17 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://imvdb.com/video/ellie-goulding/under-the-sheets |title=Ellie Goulding – Under the Sheets (2009) |date=22 October 2009 |publisher=IMVDb |access-date=14 January 2014}}</ref> 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.
==Track listings== {{Track listing | headline = UK digital download – EP<ref name="iTunesUK"/>
| title1 = Under the Sheets | length1 = 3:46 | title2 = Fighter Plane | length2 = 4:24 | title3 = Under the Sheets | note3 = [[Jakwob]] remix | length3 = 5:36 | title4 = Under the Sheets | note4 = Pariah remix | length4 = 4:50 }}
{{Track listing | headline = UK 7" limited edition single | title1 = A. Under the Sheets | length1 = 3:46 | title2 = B. Fighter Plane | length2 = 4:24 }}
{{Track listing | headline = German digital download and CD single<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.de/dp/B003XP0LN0 |title=Under the Sheets (2-Track) |language=de |publisher=[[Amazon.com|Amazon.de]] |access-date=6 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="iTunesDE"/> | title1 = Under the Sheets | length1 = 3:44 | title2 = Guns and Horses | note2 = Live at [[Metropolis Studios]] | length2 = 3:48 }}
==Personnel== Credits were adapted from the liner notes of ''Lights''.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Lights |type=CD liner notes |others=[[Ellie Goulding]] |publisher=[[Polydor Records]] |year=2010 |id=2732799}}</ref>
* Ellie Goulding – vocals, acoustic guitar * Charlie Morton – additional acoustic guitar, backing vocals * Naweed – mastering * [[Starsmith]] – bass, drum programming, keyboards, production * [[Mark Stent|Mark "Spike" Stent]] – mixing
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ "Under the Sheets" chart performance ! scope="col"| Chart (2009–10) ! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |- {{single chart|Flanders Tip|3|artist=Ellie Goulding|song=Under The Sheets|access-date=5 February 2010|rowheader=true}} |- {{single chart|Denmark Airplay|2|artist=Ellie Goulding|song=Under The Sheets|week=48|year=2009|access-date=4 October 2010|rowheader=true}} |- {{single chart|Germany|91|songid=630003|artist=Ellie Goulding|song=Under The Sheets|access-date=14 February 2019|rowheader=true}} |- {{single chart|Scotland|58|date=20091122|access-date=6 December 2018|rowheader=true}} |- {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|53|artist=Ellie Goulding|access-date=14 January 2014|rowheader=true}} |}
==Release history== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+ "Under the Sheets" release history ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{Ref.}} |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2"| United Kingdom |9 November 2009 |[[phonograph record|7" single]] |[[Neon Gold Records|Neon Gold]] | rowspan="2" align="center" | <ref name="iTunesUK">{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/under-the-sheets-ep/338264167 |title=Under the Sheets – EP by Ellie Goulding |date=January 2009 |publisher=[[iTunes Store]] UK. [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222083542/http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/under-the-sheets-ep/id338264167 |archive-date=22 December 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=2 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://neongoldrecords.com/like-all-the-boys-before/ |title=Neon Gold Beat Company: LIKE ALL THE BOYS BEFORE. |publisher=Neon Gold Records |date=9 November 2009 |access-date=2 January 2010 |archive-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116125203/http://neongoldrecords.com/like-all-the-boys-before/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|15 November 2009 | rowspan="3"|[[Music download|Digital download]] |[[Polydor Records|Polydor]] |- ! scope="row"|Belgium |rowspan="3"|[[Universal Music Group|Universal]] | align="center" | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/be/album/under-the-sheets-ep/1445048291 |title=Under the Sheets – EP by Ellie Goulding |date=January 2009 |publisher=iTunes Store Belgium. Apple |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223083756/http://itunes.apple.com/be/album/under-the-sheets-ep/id338264167 |archive-date=23 December 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=7 January 2011}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2"|Germany |3 September 2010 | rowspan="2" align="center" | <ref name="iTunesDE">{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/de/album/under-the-sheets-single/387343119?l=en |title=Under the Sheets – Single by Ellie Goulding |date=January 2010 |publisher=iTunes Store Germany. Apple |access-date=23 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.universal-music.de/ellie-goulding/diskografie/detail/product:164526/under-the-sheets |title=ELLIE GOULDING {{!}} Under The Sheets |language=de |publisher=[[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Germany]] |access-date=23 October 2010 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054027/http://www.universal-music.de/ellie-goulding/diskografie/detail/product:164526/under-the-sheets |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- |17 September 2010 |[[CD single]] |}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{Ellie Goulding}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:2009 songs]] [[Category:2009 debut singles]] [[Category:Ellie Goulding songs]] [[Category:Polydor Records singles]] [[Category:Songs written by Ellie Goulding]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Starsmith]] [[Category:Songs written by Starsmith]] [[Category:Neon Gold Records singles]]