Mastering Ed Sheeran's Pop Earworm
"Shivers" is a high-energy track from the 2021 album = (Equals). Unlike some of Ed Sheeran's acoustic ballads, this song is driven by a driving beat and rapid-fire vocal delivery. It challenges a singer's ability to maintain clear diction while moving quickly between chest voice and a bright falsetto.
To sing this effectively, you need to stay light on your feet vocally. Heavy, operatic technique will slow you down here. The goal is a conversational tone in the verses and a soaring, effortless head voice in the chorus.
AI Coach Tip: Watch Your Stamina
The verses leave very little room to breathe. Plan your breaths on the punctuation marks. If you run out of air before the pre-chorus, your pitch will go flat on the climb.
Phase 1: The Verses (Rapid Fire)
The verses ("I took an arrow to the heart...") sit in a comfortable lower-mid range (A2-D4). The difficulty here is rhythm. The lyrics are packed tight. You need crisp consonant articulation.
The Trap: Mumbling. Singers often slur the words to keep up with the beat. Practice the lyrics slowly as a spoken poem first to ensure your tongue and lips are synchronized.
Phase 2: The Pre-Chorus Climb
As you hit the line "I wanna be that guy," the melody ascends. You should switch to a chest-dominant mix here. Increase your volume slightly to build tension, but keep the tone bright and forward to match the pop production style.
Phase 3: The Falsetto Chorus
This is the signature hook: "Ooh, I love it when you do it like that." The note jumps up to an F#5 in falsetto/head voice.
It is crucial that this transition is instantaneous. There is no time to "slide" up to the note. You must "flip" into it. Keep your falsetto bright—think of a "smiling" sound—rather than hooty or hollow. This helps the vocal cut through the mix.
- The "Ooh" Vowel: Keep your lips rounded but your internal mouth shape narrow to maintain pitch accuracy.
- Ad-libs: The background runs require agility. Use a metronome to practice the melisma slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest sung note is an F#5 in the falsetto chorus. The highest chest/mix belt reaches around A4/B4 depending on your vocal placement.
It is moderately difficult, primarily due to the speed and the register switching. If you aren't comfortable with falsetto, this song will be very challenging.
You can try to belt the high notes, but it changes the "vibe" of the song significantly and is very tiring. It is better to use the Singing Coach AI app to transpose the song down -2 or -3 semitones to a more comfortable range.
