Hit Songs Deconstructed's Yael & Dave Penn break down the 12-week Hot 100 No. 1's composition. Plus, Harry Styles' debut & a flashback to 1990.
Welcome to the Billboard Chart Beat Podcast, where each week co-hosts Gary Trust and Trevor Anderson, from the Billboard charts department, discuss why what's on the charts … is on the charts.
This week, Hit Songs Deconstructed co-founders Yael and Dave Penn return, once again, to the podcast, this time to share insider insights on the compositional characteristics that have helped make Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit for 12 weeks and counting.
A significant reason for the appeal, and chart success, of "Shape"? It sports similarities to other hits while still standing out. "It's the effective blend of the familiar and the unique that helps a song connect with a wide audience," Dave says. "That truly is the key."