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For My Hand
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| "For My Hand" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Burna Boy featuring Ed Sheeran | ||||
| from the album Love, Damini | ||||
| Released | 11 July 2022 | |||
| Length | 2:39 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | P2J | |||
| Burna Boy singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Ed Sheeran singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "For My Hand" on YouTube | ||||
"For My Hand" is a song by Nigerian singer Burna Boy, featuring vocals from English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released through Atlantic Records on 8 July 2022 as the third single from Burna Boy's sixth studio album, Love, Damini, along with the album.[1] Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran wrote the song with producer P2J. It marks the second collaboration between the two artists, as they were both featured on British rapper Stormzy's single, "Own It", from his second studio album, Heavy Is the Head (2019). On 30 June 2022, Sheeran brought Burna Boy out during his performance at Wembley Stadium in his home country of the United Kingdom, in which the two artists performed "For My Hand" for the first time.[2]
Composition and lyrics
[edit]On "For My Hand", Burna Boy brings Ed Sheeran into his world of music. The love song is focused on emotions and honesty in relationships, as they sing about wanting to be accepted for who they are: "Take me as I am".[3] It has been described as a "wedding-song-worthy vow of mutual devotion through rough times", in which they sing: "Whenever I'm broken, you make me feel whole".[4]
Music video
[edit]The official music video for "For My Hand" premiered alongside the release of the song and album on 8 July 2022. Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran sing inside an elevator. The two artists stand at the top of New York City and Burna Boy becomes one with the clouds in the sky. The video ends with a couple dancing in the same elevator, who stay touching each other.[5] They rise up to the sea and the sky as they go to the top of a skyscraper.[6]
Credits and personnel
[edit]- Burna Boy – lead vocals, songwriting
- Ed Sheeran – featured vocals, songwriting
- P2J – production, songwriting, recording
- Jesse Ray Ernster – mixing
- Gerhard Westphalen – mastering
- Joe Begalla – mixing assistance
- Noah "MixGiant" Glassman – mixing assistance
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[30] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[31] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[32] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[33] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[34] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| Nigeria (TCSN)[35] | 3× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[36] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[37] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Sweden (GLF)[38] | Platinum | 8,000,000† |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 11 July 2022 | Contemporary hit radio | Atlantic | [39] |
References
[edit]- ^ Kaufman, Gil (8 July 2022). "Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran Take Magical Elevator Ride in Search of Love in 'For My Hand' Video". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (7 July 2022). "Burna Boy Drops 'Love, Damini' Album f/ J Balvin, Kehlani, Ed Sheeran, Blxst, J Hus, and More". Complex. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Shorter, Marcus (7 July 2022). "On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, Too". Consequence. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (7 July 2022). "Burna Boy Faces Success and Second Thoughts on 'Love, Damini'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Sadler, Armon (7 July 2022). "Burna Boy And Ed Sheeran Ascend The Highs Of Love In Their Romantic 'For My Hand' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Curto, Justin (8 July 2022). "Burna Boy Is Heading to the Top on Love, Damini". Vulture. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Track Top-40 Uge 39, 2022". Hitlisten. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 202.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 2022" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Media Forest – Weekly Charts". Media Forest. Retrieved 27 September 2022. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
- ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 28-2022". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Top 5 | 13 Oktober – 20 Oktober 2022" [Top 5 | 13 – 20 October 2023] (in Dutch). Nationale Top 40 Suriname. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Afrobeats Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Burna Boy Chart History: World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Track Top-100 2022". Hitlisten. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2022" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Burna Boy – For My Hand (ft. Ed Sheeran)". Music Canada. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ "French single certifications – Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran – For My Hand". Radioscope. Retrieved 28 December 2024. Type For My Hand in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
- ^ "Nigeria certifications". TurnTable.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('For My Hand')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Burna Boy ft Ed Sheeran – For My Hand". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Burna Boy feat. Ed Sheeran "For My Hand" | (Radio Date: 11/07/2022)". radiodate.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2 August 2022.
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For My Hand
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Background and development
Writing and recording
"For My Hand" was written by Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu), Ed Sheeran, and P2J (Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong).[11][12] The track emerged as the last of five songs co-written by Burna Boy and Sheeran during a single collaborative session, which Burna Boy described as an organic process, praising Sheeran as a "genius."[13] Recording for "For My Hand" occurred amid sessions for Burna Boy's sixth studio album, Love, Damini, spanning 2021 and 2022.[14] P2J served as the primary producer, managing instrumentation, programming, and engineering for the track.[15] The duet built on Burna Boy and Sheeran's prior collaboration on Stormzy's 2019 single "Own It," which marked their first joint effort and helped foster the creative rapport for this project.[16] P2J incorporated Afro-fusion beats to blend Nigerian rhythms with pop elements, while employing vocal layering to harmonize the artists' contributions in the duet format.[17] A snippet of the song debuted live when Burna Boy joined Sheeran onstage at Wembley Stadium on June 30, 2022, ahead of its official release.[13]Release and promotion
"For My Hand" was released on July 8, 2022, as the third single from Burna Boy's sixth studio album, Love, Damini, which was issued the same day through Atlantic Records.[3][18][19] It followed the album's lead single, "Last Last", which had debuted on May 13, 2022.[20] The track became available for digital download and streaming on major platforms including Spotify and Apple Music immediately upon release.[21][22] Promotion for "For My Hand" aligned with the album's overarching themes of love, loss, and personal growth, positioning the song as a heartfelt anthem of emotional support and resilience.[23] Buildup included a live preview performance by Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium on June 30, 2022, during Sheeran's tour, serving as an early teaser for the collaboration.[24] Post-release, both artists shared announcements and clips on social media, with Sheeran posting a promotional video on Facebook on July 11, 2022, to highlight the track's vibes.[25] In Italy, the single received contemporary hit radio airplay starting July 11, 2022. Initial marketing efforts spotlighted the cross-cultural partnership between the Nigerian Afro-fusion artist Burna Boy and British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, aiming to broaden appeal to international audiences through their blended styles and shared narrative of unity.[26] This second joint venture, following their 2019 work on "Own It", underscored global musical exchange in the rollout.[2][16]Composition and lyrics
"For My Hand" is an Afrobeats ballad that incorporates pop elements, characterized by its mid-tempo rhythm at approximately 104 beats per minute in F-sharp minor.[27] The song was written by Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu), Ed Sheeran, and producer P2J (Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong) in a single studio session where they created five tracks, with "For My Hand" being the last.[13] P2J also handled production, recording, and additional instrumentation.[11] Lyrically, the song explores themes of romantic devotion, emotional support, and gratitude in relationships, using the metaphor of a storm to represent life's challenges. Burna Boy's verses convey a longing for intimacy and reassurance, while the chorus, shared with Sheeran, emphasizes unwavering commitment: "Whenever I'm broken, you make me feel whole / Whenever I'm lonely, you're there for my soul." The track highlights the artists' personal experiences, with Burna Boy reflecting on support amid personal difficulties and Sheeran alluding to his marital bond.[2][28]Music video
The official music video for "For My Hand" was released on July 8, 2022, alongside the single.[4] Directed by Troy Roscoe, the video features Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran embarking on a futuristic elevator journey through various surreal landscapes, symbolizing a search for love and emotional connection.[29] The visual narrative aligns with the song's themes of devotion and support, depicting the artists navigating ups and downs in pursuit of their partners.[4] As of November 2025, the video has amassed over 195 million views on YouTube.[30]Commercial performance
Chart performance
"For My Hand" achieved significant international chart success upon its release in July 2022, marking Burna Boy's continued global breakthrough following his album Love, Damini. The track debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, reflecting its immediate streaming and sales momentum worldwide. It also became the first African song to debut on Spotify's Global Top Songs Debut chart, entering at number 9 and underscoring the growing influence of Afrobeats on global streaming platforms.[31] In key markets, the song reached notable peaks, particularly in regions with strong Afrobeats followings. It topped the TurnTable Top 100 chart in Nigeria, Burna Boy's home country, debuting at number 1 and holding the position for multiple weeks. In South Africa, it peaked at number 5 on the South African Music Charts streaming component. Across Europe and other territories, it entered the top 10 in several countries. It peaked at number 23 on the Danish singles chart and maintained presence on various streaming charts into 2023.[32][33][34]| Chart (2022) | Peak Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | 18 | [35] |
| US Afrobeats Songs (Billboard) | 2 | [36] |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) | 15 | [37] |
| Nigeria Top 100 (TurnTable) | 1 | [32] |
| South Africa (Entertainment Monitoring) | 5 | [33] |
Certifications and sales
"For My Hand" has received several certifications from music industry organizations worldwide, reflecting its commercial success. In the United Kingdom, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) awarded the song Platinum certification on May 3, 2024, denoting 600,000 equivalent units sold, including downloads and streams.[38] In Canada, Music Canada certified it Gold on May 15, 2023, equivalent to 40,000 units. In France, the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) issued a 2× Platinum certification as of October 31, 2023, for 300,000 units.[39] Additional Gold certifications include those from ARIA in Australia for 35,000 units. The song's sales performance has been bolstered by strong digital download and streaming metrics. In the UK, it contributed significantly to equivalent album sales for Burna Boy's Love, Damini, with total chart units exceeding 600,000 by mid-2024. Streaming achievements further underscore its impact, with the song surpassing 338 million plays on Spotify as of November 16, 2025, contributing to broader equivalent unit tallies across platforms like Apple Music and YouTube.[40] These figures highlight the track's role in elevating Afrobeats' global commercial footprint, with certifications from BPI, Music Canada, SNEP, and others affirming its multi-market appeal.Performances and legacy
Live performances
The song received its world premiere on June 30, 2022, during Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour concert at Wembley Stadium in London, where both artists performed the then-unfinished track as a surprise collaboration ahead of its official release.[24][41] Burna Boy incorporated "For My Hand" into his solo setlists throughout the Love, Damini World Tour from 2022 to 2023, delivering energetic renditions that highlighted the song's afrobeats and pop fusion elements at various international stops.[42] A standout moment came on July 29, 2025, when Burna Boy surprised attendees at the England Lionesses' UEFA Women's Euro 2025 victory parade outside Buckingham Palace in London by performing the track alongside team manager Sarina Wiegman, who joined him on stage for an impromptu duet and dance, creating viral social media clips and sparking a resurgence in the song's chart performance.[43][44][45]Cultural impact
"For My Hand" marked a significant milestone in the global dissemination of Afrobeats, serving as a prominent example of cross-genre collaborations that elevated the genre's international profile. The track's partnership between Burna Boy and British singer Ed Sheeran exemplified the fusion of Afrobeats with pop sensibilities, drawing widespread attention to African-led music production and inspiring similar high-profile pairings in the genre.[36] This collaboration not only highlighted Burna Boy's role in bridging cultural divides but also contributed to the broader narrative of Afrobeats artists like Tems and Wizkid engaging with global pop figures to expand the genre's reach.[46] The song's infectious rhythm and themes of support and unity resonated widely on social media platforms, particularly through viral dance challenges on TikTok from 2022 onward, which fostered cross-generational engagement and amplified its cultural footprint among diverse audiences. These user-generated trends underscored the track's accessibility, encouraging participants worldwide to reinterpret its choreography and lyrics in creative ways.[47] In 2025, "For My Hand" gained further prominence when Burna Boy made a surprise appearance at the England women's national football team's Euro victory parade in London, performing the song onstage alongside manager Sarina Wiegman, who joined in singing and dancing. The moment, captured amid celebrations of the Lionesses' triumph, aligned the track's message of solidarity with the event's themes of teamwork and resilience, embedding it deeper into popular culture.[48] As a standout single from Burna Boy's Grammy-nominated album Love, Damini, which earned a nod for Best Global Music Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, "For My Hand" played a key role in narrating the project's exploration of personal and cultural narratives, solidifying its place among influential Afrobeats recordings of the 2020s. The album's recognition further cemented the song's contribution to the genre's evolving legacy.[49]Credits and personnel
- Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu) – lead vocals, songwriting[50]
- Ed Sheeran (Edward Christopher Sheeran) – featured vocals, songwriting[50]
- P2J (Richard Isong Olowaranti Mbuk Isong) – production, songwriting, recording[50][51]
- Jesse Ray Ernster – mixing[52]
- Gerhard Westphalen – mastering[52]
- Joe Begalla – mixing assistance[51]
- Noah "MixGiant" Glassman – mixing assistance[53]
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 8 July 2022 | Digital download, streaming | Atlantic Records [52] |
| Italy | 11 July 2022 | Contemporary hit radio | Atlantic Records [54] |