"Beautiful People" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran featuring American singer Khalid. Atlantic Records released it on 28 June 2019, as the third single from his fourth studio album, No.6 Collaborations Project. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2019, becoming the second single from the album to reach the summit of the chart. Sheeran released an acoustic solo version of the song on 15 July without Khalid.
Background and promotion
"Beautiful People" was announced as part of the tracklist for No.6 Collaborations Project. Ed Sheeran revealed the song's artwork and release date on 23 June 2019. Footage of it being recorded in a studio was released in the following days leading up to its release.
Composition
According to Rolling Stones Althea Legaspi, "Beautiful People" is about "remaining true to yourself and not trying to become one of those so-called 'beautiful people' obsessed with material things and stature", and has a composition of "pretty vocal harmonies, a winsome melody and handclap-enhanced rhythms". Idolator's Mike Nied wrote that the song sees the singers "address fears of losing sight of themselves in an image-obsessed crowd". "Beautiful People" is performed in the key of E♭ major and follows a chord progression of Cm-Eb-Ab-Ab with a tempo of 100 beats per minute in common time.
Reception
Mitch Findlay of HotNewHipHop wrote that the singers "make for a formidable pair of young songwriters, arguably some of the pop landscape's best", predicting that "'Beautiful People' will likely enjoy a lofty future on the pop charts". HipHop-N-More's Navjosh called the song "a chilled out track which has the potential to impact both pop and R&B fans". Rap-Up called it a "breezy duet", and added that "Khalid is also equally unfazed by the glitterati".
Music video
The official music video accompanying it was teased a day before its 28 June release. In the music video, the film opens with a simple looking couple waiting in line with their luggage at a small airport. After being approached by a pair of airport personnel, they are directed to a long white limousine waiting outside. The couple hesitantly enters the limousine, where they eat snacks they packed and notice other fancy cars driving past them, apparently heading to the same destination. As the video continues, the couple find themselves at a series of fancy, expensive places filled with beautiful people: a pool party beside a mansion, a yacht filled with models, a fashion show, and a house party. Surrounded by wealth, indulgence, and beauty, the couple reacts to everything with cautious interest, but spend most of their time focused on each other. At the end of the video, the couple flies home on a private plane, and upon landing at the airport, they are offered a ride in a nice car. The couple decline, take hands, and head for the airport bus instead. The music video was filmed in Barcelona, and the airport at the beginning of the music video is the Lleida-Alguaire Airport in Catalonia, Spain.
