More about: Ed Sheeran6

Ed Sheeran is one of the biggest pop stars born from the 2010s. With a net worth of $200 million, it’s no surprise he’s just announced a fifth album, -, to complete his maths series. Here, I will deep dive into why I think we’ve progressed past the need for another 14-song album from Ed, who has moved from charming (albeit gritty) storytelling to chart sell-outs. 

To preface, it is of course very important to develop one’s own sound. I think the reason there was critical acclaim to +, his 2011 debut, was for its authenticity and experimentation with styles. It wasn’t necessarily loved by all, getting a 4/10 by NME and a 67/100 on Metacritic – but it achieved enough to reach the top of the UK albums chart within the first week of sales. 

+ was created with influences from folk singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, which explains why the debut is filled with raw emotions. There’s a range of all-encompassing stories told through Sheeran’s lyricism which does not carry through to his releases now. It’s clear, then, that the fame was taken to heart and there was a conscious decision made to continue on a trajectory of trends, rather than passion. 

If we take the example of Small Bump, the fifth single from + and a deeply moving song about a miscarriage suffered by Sheeran’s close friend: 

"And I'll whisper quietly
I'll give you nothing but truth
If you're not inside me
I'll put my future in you"

Compared to Shivers, the second single from =, a song about drunk sex after a night of partying: 

"Ooh, I love it when you do it like that
And when you're close up, give me the shivers"

It’s evident that the beauty of storytelling has decreased massively in Sheeran’s lyrics. I don’t think one needs to suffer to make good music, but Sheeran’s early songs having a background and motivation to be good definitely helped. It would seem the further he progresses in his career, the less he seems to care about substance, instead focussing on radio-playability, popularity and streams. 

"Sheeran has put himself on a pedestal above his listeners, where his fame becomes more important than not alienating his fans..."

Ed Sheeran has lost his relatability as time has progressed, above all else. For Clash, Robin Murray wrote that ‘= is a dichotomy between the humble pop savant and the brash stadium-filling star.’ Sheeran has put himself on a pedestal above his listeners, where his fame becomes more important than not alienating his fans. 

As such, has Ed Sheeran become just another chart-topper? I think so – there’s nothing that makes him stand out from others, except his humble beginnings which seem to have been dropped completely now he’s sold out stadiums and were questionable to start with... There is, of course, nothing wrong with achieving great success. It does, however, make you less relatable the further you stray from the life of the common people; which makes it hard to listen to earlier lyrics filled with stories and beauty, knowing how Sheeran succumbs to social expectations of ‘the pop star’. 

All this being said, it arguably must work. Ed Sheeran is #6 in the world on Spotify, with 11 songs at a billion streams. He has 77 million monthly Spotify listeners and is friends with some of the biggest names in the industry while being one himself. Outside of that, he has a wife to write love songs about and two daughters - from the couch surfing 20-year-old who wrote the songs on +, he has come spectacularly far. 

As someone who really enjoyed the debut and fell off the bandwagon for further releases, I do think it’s clear he got quite lazy with song-writing. I suppose when you’re touring the world and set to contractual time and deadlines, it is a bit harder than writing between open-mic nights and part-time jobs. And if a certain cookie-cutter dull pop formula is making you all this money, why would you stray?

"Hopefully - brings with it some storytelling, a release of Ed’s soul which doesn’t aim to only chart top..."

I am, however, eager to listen to -. If Ed’s instagram caption is anything to go by, it seems the authenticity will make a return: 

"As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time, I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life."

We can’t wait to see if this is less of a flop than = felt to us. Hopefully - brings with it some storytelling, a release of Ed’s soul which doesn’t aim to only chart top.

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More about: Ed Sheeran6