Ed Sheeran, – (minus)
★★★★
when ed sheeran’s debut single team When it hit the top of the Australian charts in 2011, it was impossible for a naive 11-year-old to fully incorporate heavy themes. But the song expresses a sadness that even a younger me could feel.
Fast forward 12 years – through death, heartache and grief – and that song, and songs like supermarket flowers (2017) and Visit time (2021), from Sheeran’s previous album, started to take hold. But it’s not just his fans who are getting older.
Ed Sheeran ditches grandiosity and becomes vulnerable on his new album.Credit: Associated Press
Those heavy experiences marked the beginning of adult life, Sheeran describes the inspiration behind his new track in a video the end of youthCandid and soulful, this track epitomizes the essence of his latest album minus“Everything is falling apart, when love is real, it never ends, I guess that’s part of life, but I can’t help feeling depressed,” Sheeran sings.
The British singer-songwriter is probably best known for the catchy tune your shape (2017), Sing (2014) and No (2014).but minus Strip the pomposity, become vulnerable, and shine the spotlight on Sheeran’s vocals.
eyes closed, another single released ahead of the album’s release, sees the Grammy-winning artist capitalize on a gentle head voice and ability to play with astonishing fervor.This is the closest sound to his early work to divide (2017) Era, with similar muted beats your shape Throughout, the vocals are loosely reminiscent of perfect. However, instead of a sexy or serenaded soundtrack, eyes closed Tribute to Sheeran’s close friend Jamal Edwards, who passed away last february.
It was one of those events that Sheeran says sparked an overhaul of the album. After a series of events that changed his life and his mental health, a decade of “trying to shape the perfect soundtrack album” was scratched and replaced by a week in early 2022. After that, Sheeran said that when he wrote the song, he didn’t think about what the song would be, and “write whatever he wanted”.
exist sycamore tree, the 32-year-old singer sang about discovering his pregnant wife had a malignant tumor. At some point, the lyrics sound out of tune with the melody, distracting from the song’s apparent vulnerability. no stringthe track that follows, is a more sonically cohesive piece also inspired by the ordeal he and his wife went through, while the bonus track the toughest Picking up the pace on the same theme, strong, pulsating beats and electric guitars run through to mark the album’s climax. “When love is on our side, there’s no way to lose, but I can’t help but break down,” Sheeran sings.
