Blow (Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars song)

Did You Know?

• The music video features an all-female band lip-syncing the song at The Viper Room in Los Angeles.
• Mars directed the music video along with Florent Dechard.
• The song was written by eight people including Brody Brown, Frank Rogers, J.T. Cure, Bard McNamee and Gregory McKee.

Background

Ed Sheeran said he was inspired by Christina Aguilera's collaboration "Lady Marmalade" when planning his No.6 Collaborations Project. He first contacted Bruno Mars, who agreed to work on a song. The track's title and guest artists were announced on 18 June 2019, and Sheeran teased its release on Instagram on 2 July. Sheeran, Stapleton and Mars wrote the song in a Nashville basement. Sheeran noted the rock sound came from Stapleton playing a riff. The trio had arguments during recording, with Mars reminding Sheeran of his sales record. Sheeran said people are surprised by the song's style. Mars called working with Sheeran and Stapleton a privilege.

Composition

"Blow" is a rock, blues rock and hard rock song featuring a distorted electric guitar riff described as chunky and reminiscent of 80s heavy metal. The track includes a lively drumbeat and an extended shouted high note. It is set in the key of E-flat minor at 92 beats per minute. The vocals showcase Stapleton's howl, Mars's soulful delivery, and a rougher vocal style from Sheeran. Critics compared its energy to Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age, or a raucous Aerosmith-style screamfest. Lyrically, the song finds the trio serenading a love interest who drives them insane, mixing gun references and sexual innuendo. One verse includes lines about a "supernatural woman" and "pop it like a pistol". Another lyric asks "Baby, tell me, what's your fantasy?"

Critical reception

Music critics gave "Blow" mixed reviews. Some praised the singers' vocals and the hard rock sound, with Billboard's Jason Lipshutz noting the trio adapt capably. Malvika Padin of Clash called the song a perfect end to the album. Ben Boddez of The Georgia Straight found Mars's production and guitar solo the main focus, calling the track pretty fantastic. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine commended Sheeran's collaboration choices. Mike Nied of Idolator lauded the common ground on a rock anthem. Others criticised the lyrics and sound. Chris Willman of Variety called it pastiche and a bogged-down moment. NME's Nick Levine criticised Sheeran's vocals as terrible hair metal come-ons. Seth Wilson of Slant Magazine disapproved of the lyrics, saying they make L.A. Guns seem like Nobel laureates. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph called the song retrogressive and fake.

Commercial performance

"Blow" debuted at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 26,000 downloads, 7.5 million streams and 1.5 million radio impressions in its first full tracking week. It peaked at number three on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, marking Stapleton and Mars's first appearance there. The song also reached number one on Rock Digital Songs. It was certified platinum by Music Canada. In Australia it reached number 31, and in Scotland it peaked at number 21. The song charted at number 53 in the Czech Republic and number 56 in Slovakia. It peaked at number three on the NZ Hot Singles Chart and was certified gold by Recorded Music NZ. In the UK it reached number 21 on the Single Sales Chart and number 35 on the Streaming Chart, receiving a silver certification from the BPI.