Ed Sheeran, a 26-year-old singer-songwriter from the U.K., teased his fans with new music when he exclusively released two very different tracks, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” off of his new album on January 6. Since then, both songs gained instant popularity and “Shape of You” was heard all over various radio stations. The real question that fans were determined to know the answer to was, when will the whole album come out?
When Sheeran finally decided to announce the release date of his new album a week later, fans were stunned. Sheerios everywhere eagerly awaited the soulful singer’s follow up album after his massively successful X (Multiply), and on March 3, their wish was finally granted.
Sheeran delivered a full new album with sixteen songs for fans to go crazy over. The album, ÷ (Divide), shows a different side to Sheeran and introduces even more of his musical abilities, both through songwriting and his diverse use of instruments.
The new album shows that Sheeran will not be defined by one genre of music and that he can dabble in rapping his heart out on tracks like “Eraser,” which discusses the negative aspects of fame and the limelight and explains what it took for Sheeran himself to make it there, or pouring his heart and soul into love songs like “Perfect,” where he sings of a new love who is the light of his eye. Sheeran has the power of his fans behind him as he chooses to show new sides of himself, his songwriting, and his instrumentation through this album.
Sheeran has his classic, powerful, and lyrical ballads present on the album, such as “Happier,” a song about a past love who he longs to be with again even though she is happy without him, or “Supermarket Flowers,” a tribute to his late grandmother where Sheeran describes her as an angel who always supported him. The singer also included upbeat pop hits like “New Man,” which sings of a past love who has moved on (unhappily) to someone consumed in themselves, and “Dive,” a soulful hit that incorporates Sheeran’s underappreciated abilities as a vocalist.
Sheeran also touches on very personal and touching stories throughout the album such as the love story of his grandfather and grandmother in “Nancy Mulligan,” and an emotional song about his own difficult yet inspirational journey through life titled “Save Myself.”
Other songs on the album show a completely new, unique and fun style of music that Sheeran is just now exposing to his fans. For example, “Galway Girl” sounds like a song you would hear playing at an Irish Pub and “Barcelona” could make anyone want to visit the beautiful city and dance the night away.
One thing that Sheeran has always been known for is his ability to tell a powerful story through the music that he creates. This new album reiterates this portrayal of Sheeran and truly expresses a variety of emotions that Sheeran wants his fans to hear and know more about. Sheeran uses his music to express himself and discuss how he is feeling, and this inspires his fans while they attentively listen to his lyrics and songs. His relatable and kind nature makes fans love his music even more and is honestly one of the main reasons he has become the icon he is today. Sheeran tells real life stories and even emphasizes that fame is not all it is cracked up to be. Finding a singer/songwriter as talented as Sheeran is not easy, and this explains why ÷ is sure to be a global success.
Coming Up: Sheeran recently announced a tour that is heading to North America starting in the summer and continuing into the fall. He will be playing at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday, July 11. Pre-sale begins on Monday, March 13. We’ll see you there!