Ed Sheeran returns with new album
It’s been approximately one year since fans last heard from red-headed music prodigy Ed Sheeran. After his career took off with the song “The A Team,” which was the lead single from his debut album “+” (“Plus”) in 2011, Sheeran has been a constant presence in the music industry as both singer and songwriter for many other artists and friends, including Taylor Swift and One Direction.
Over the next five years, Sheeran managed to go a long way. By writing hits like “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber and “Dark Times” by the Weeknd. In the latter song, Sheeran collaborates with the Weeknd by singing the chorus.
He finally gathered a new set of songs and put together a new album, also released by Atlantic Records and Asylum Records titled, “x” (“Multiply”). Five singles were taken from that same album, with “Thinking Out Loud” peaking number-one in 12 countries, followed by over 1 million copies sold in the United Kingdom and winning two Grammys for “Song of the Year” and “Best Pop Solo Performance” in 2016.
Sheeran first developed an interest in performing by singing in a local church and listening to musicians such as Damien Rice, Eminem and Eric Clapton. But after five years in the business, Sheeran took a year-long break from the recording industry, which he says garnered a “lukewarm” reaction from his many fans.
It took Sheeran some time to come back, especially for the restless fans, but in the end, he didn’t disappoint. “÷” (“Divide”), released March 3, had sold 232,000 copies, both physical and digital, in the UK in its first day of release, and within the week, it had sold 672,000, making it the UK’s fastest-selling album by a male artist. Worldwide, on the same day that the album was released, the songs achieved a total of 56.73 million streams on Spotify in one day, breaking the previous record holder, “Starboy” by the Weeknd.
Honoring his Irish heritage, the 26-year-old singer showed listeners the strong presence and inspiration that his family holds in his new songs, especially his grandparents, both of whom were Irish. “Galway Girl”, a track on the album about meeting a special girl, also has Irish roots, snd took a spin when Sheeran introduced elements of Irish culture and music, relying on its youthful sound to cheer up the record, along with “Nancy Mulligan,” the story of his grandparents’ relationship.
Unfortunately, Sheeran’s grandmother died during the making of the record, leading him to write “Supermarket Flowers,” one of the more heartfelt songs on the album, written from the point of view of his mother.
In the short span of time since “÷” was released, the singer achieved much more than anyone ever thought he would. According to the Official Charts Company, Sheeran’s new album holds nine of the top 10 singles in the United Kingdom.
This might seem like a surprise to some people, but having heard “÷” in its entirety, I can say that the artist really put himself out there with such emotional and diverse songs, all of which reflect experiences he might have had during his break.
To a fan like me, Sheeran’s hiatus was only a year, but it felt like forever. Now that he is back, I don’t think we’ll let him go ever again.
