"Visiting Hours"
Promotional single by Ed Sheeran
from the album =
Released19 August 2021 (2021-08-19)
GenreFolk-pop
Length3:35
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Johnny McDaid
Music Video
"Visiting Hours" on YouTube

"Visiting Hours" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 19 August 2021 as the promotional single from his fifth studio album, =, the same day he announced the album. The song was produced by Sheeran and Johnny McDaid.[1]

Background and release

On 2 March 2021, Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski died at the age of 68. Sheeran first performed "Visiting Hours" at Gudinski's funeral on 24 March 2021 as a tribute to him in Australia, delivering an emotional performance.[2] Gudinski's close friends and fellow musicians, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes, as well as comedian Jimmy Carr, provide backing vocals on the song. He finished the song during his two weeks of mandatory quarantine because of COVID-19 rules due to his decision to travel to Australia. On 19 August 2021, Sheeran released the song as a promotional single and announced the album.[3] A live performance video, which was filmed in St. Stephen's Church in Hampstead, London, was also released with the song.[4] Sheeran stated that he "finished writing this song going through proper grief for the first time, and for me its one of the most important songs on =".[5]

Lyrics

Lyrically, "Visiting Hours" is an ode to the late Michael Gudinski, an Australian music promoter. In the first verse, Sheeran makes a reference to his daughter, Lyra Seaborn Sheeran, wishing that Gudinski had got to meet her: "I wish that Heaven had visiting hours / So I could just show up and bring the news / That she's getting older and I wish that you'd met her / The things that she'll learn from me, I got them all from you".[6]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[7]

Charts

Chart performance for "Visiting Hours"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 28
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] 31
Canada AC (Billboard)[11] 40
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[12] 51
Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] 16
Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[14] 2
France (SNEP)[15] 169
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 46
Global 200 (Billboard)[17] 21
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 8
Italy (FIMI)[19] 68
Lithuania (AGATA)[20] 44
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 52
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 11
Norway (VG-lista)[23] 9
Portugal (AFP)[24] 86
Singapore (RIAS)[25] 24
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[26] 33
South Africa (RISA)[27] 26
South Korea (Gaon)[28] 183
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[31] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[32] 75

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[33] Gold 35,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[34] Platinum 80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[36] Gold 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Price, Joe (19 August 2021). "Ed Sheeran Announces Album and Shares New Song "Visiting Hours"". Complex. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Gil (24 March 2021). "Ed Sheeran Gets Emotional During Debut of New Song 'Visiting Hours' at Michael Gudinski Memorial". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  3. ^ Curto, Justin (19 August 2021). "Ed Sheeran to Complete the Equation With New Album =". Vulture. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Ed Sheeran - Visiting Hours - [Official Performance Video]". 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Sheeran, Ed (19 August 2021). "Filmed a live version of visiting hours in St Stephens Church, Hampstead. I finished writing this song going through proper grief for the first time, and for me its one of the most important songs on =. Thank you to @kylieminogue and @jimmybarnesofficial for sharing their talent on the backing vocals of the recorded version of this song. It's an honour to sing with you. I hope you love it, it's out on all platforms now, and preorder the album, link in bio x". Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021 – via Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Instagram.
  6. ^ "Ed Sheeran's 'Visiting Hours': Inside The Heartfelt Lyrics From The Upcoming Album". Capital FM. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Credits / Visiting Hours / Ed Sheeran". Tidal. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  12. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202134 into search. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Track Top-40 Uge 34, 2021". Hitlisten. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Top Singles (Week 34, 2021)". SNEP. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 34" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  20. ^ "2021 34-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  22. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  23. ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2021-34". VG-lista. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  25. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 34". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  26. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202134 into search. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  27. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: 20/08/2021 to 26/08/2021". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  28. ^ "Digital Chart – Week 35 of 2021". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 34" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  32. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  33. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  34. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Visiting Hours – Ed Sheeran". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  35. ^ "Danish single certifications – Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  36. ^ "Italian single certifications – Ed Sheeran – Visiting Hours" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 22 January 2024. Select "2024" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Visiting Hours" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  37. ^ "British single certifications – Visiting Hours – Ed Sheeran". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
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