Sixteen (Ellie Goulding song)

"Sixteen" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding, released as a single through Polydor Records on 12 April 2019 from her fourth studio album Brightest Blue.[3][4] It was co-written by Goulding with Raye and Fred, and produced by Ian Kirkpatrick, Fred and Mike Wise. Goulding has said the song is about the "reckless days of adolescence".[5]

"Sixteen"
Single by Ellie Goulding
from the album Brightest Blue
Released	12 April 2019 (2019-04-12)
Genre	Pop[1] dance-pop[2]
Length	3:21
Label	Polydor
Songwriter(s)	Elena Goulding Joe Kearns Rachel Keen Fred Gibson
Producer(s)	Mike Wise Fred Ian Kirkpatrick (co.)
Ellie Goulding singles chronology
"Close to Me (Red Velvet Remix)" (2019) "Sixteen" (2019) "Hate Me" (2019)
Music video
"Sixteen" on YouTube

Composition

"Sixteen" is a dance-pop song with an electronic beat that speaks about the "reckless days of adolescence".[2][5] It is written in the key of A-flat major with a tempo of 110 beats per minute. [6]

Promotion

Goulding announced the song on social media on 11 April 2019, also posting that she compiled the cover artwork from friends' photos of when they were sixteen years of age.[7]

Music video

The music video was released in April 2019.[8]

On 14 June 2019, an acoustic version of the song was released with an accompanying monochromatic video.

Track listing

Digital download

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sixteen"	3:21

Digital download[9]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sixteen" (Don Diablo Remix)	3:13

Digital download[10]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sixteen" (99 Souls Remix)	3:32

Digital download[11]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sixteen" (Acoustic)	3:09

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[12]	77
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13]	41
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14]	50
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[15]	35
Canadian Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)[16]	44
China Airplay/FL (Billboard)[17]	16
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[18]	57
Germany (Official German Charts)[19]	64
Ireland (IRMA)[20]	20
Lithuania (AGATA)[21]	35
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22]	27
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[23]	8
Norway (VG-lista)[24]	26
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[25]	10
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[26]	16
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[27]	52
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28]	37
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29]	95
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[30]	21
Ukraine Airplay (Tophit)[31]	36

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)	Position
Portugal (AFP)[32]	663

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[33]	Silver	200,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Version	Label	Ref.
Various	12 April 2019	Digital download streaming	Original	Polydor
Italy		Contemporary hit radio		Universal	[34]
United Kingdom				Polydor	[35]
Various	10 May 2019	Digital download streaming	Don Diablo Remix		[9]
	31 May 2019		99 Souls Remix		[10]
	14 June 2019		Acoustic		[11]

References

1. "Don Diablo drops fresh remix of Ellie Goulding track 'Sixteen'". We Rave You. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
2. Gilke, Chloe (12 April 2019). "Ellie Goulding's 'Sixteen' Is A Nostalgic Dance-Pop Anthem". Uproxx. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
3. https://twitter.com/elliegoulding/status/1116309466088189952
4. "Ellie Goulding的《Brightest Blue》". Apple Music (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-07-16.
5. "Ellie Goulding torna con il singolo Sixteen". Prima Radio (in Italian). 11 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
6. Ellie Goulding "Sixteen" Sheet Music in Ab major
7. "I asked my friends to send photos from when they were 16 this single's artwork, it was so much fun putting this together and it makes it so special to share it with you guys". 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019 – via Twitter.
8. https://www.idolator.com/7750903/ellie-goulding-celebrates-youth-with-her-sixteen-music-video?chrome=1
9. https://music.apple.com/us/album/sixteen-don-diablo-remix-single/1462442483
10. https://music.apple.com/ru/album/sixteen-99-souls-remix-single/1465296585?l=en
11. https://music.apple.com/us/album/sixteen-acoustic-single/1467363869
12. "ARIA Chart Watch #522". auspOp. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
13. "Austriancharts.at – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
14. "Ultratop.be – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
15. "Ultratop.be – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
16. "Ellie Goulding – Chart history (Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
17. "China Airplay Chart/Foreign Language - 29/04/2019". Billboard China (in Chinese). Retrieved May 9, 2019.
18. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201916 into search. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
20. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
21. "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 2019" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 4 May 2019.
23. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
24. "Norwegiancharts.com – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen". VG-lista. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
25. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
26. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201940 into search. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
27. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201916 into search. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
28. "Swedishcharts.com – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
29. "Swisscharts.com – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
31. "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2019-06-10." Tophit. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
32. "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
33. "British single certifications – Ellie Goulding – Sixteen". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Sixteen in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
34. "Ellie Goulding - Sixteen (Radio Date: 12-04-2019)". Retrieved April 12, 2019.
35. "Radio 1 Playlist". BBC. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.