Album Review – Ed Sheeran: ÷

His hiatus was seemingly spent mingling with Taylor Swift’s girl squad and partying with the likes of James Blunt and Princess Beatrice, however somewhere in-between he found time to record his 16 track album.

Before releasing the full album, the tattoo covered Brit teased fans with the release of Shape of You and Castle on the Hill, both of which were met with an elated reaction from fans and managed to storm straight to the top of the charts.

Ed originally wrote Shape of You with Little Mix in mind, but then changed direction and decided Rhianna would be the most fitted to perform the single. However, upon completion, he decided to keep the song for himself. Although the studio version sounds slightly different to the Ed we are used to – much more upbeat and worthy of being played in a club rather than on a night in with pals – when performing live, he still manages to use his loop pedals to create an almost one-man-show, showcasing his astounding music capability whilst proving his unprecedented popularity hasn’t forced him into complying with modern pop. 

A fan favourite off the album would definitely have to be Galway Girl, written about a night with an Irish fiddle player. Both this and Nancy Mulligan have an Irish inspired vibe to them, which is certain to get everyone singing along. Galway Girl even features a traditional Irish band consisting of a fiddle, a pipe, a bodhran and piano.

The singer-songwriter’s capability is evident in Supermarket Flowers, a song Ed wrote from his mother’s point of view about his late grandma, who was unwell whilst he was recording the album. Originally Sheeran wasn’t going to keep this on the track list as his grandma later passed away, however after some persuasion from his granddad he kept it, and it is now one of the most loved songs from ÷.

New Man is most like his older music, telling the story of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend’s relationship. With lyrics like “Still looking at your Instagram and I'll be creeping a little” Ed still somehow managed to make the song not sound trashy, like the lyrics would suggest it could be.

As always, Ed has the perfect amount of fast paced songs and slow, heart wrenching ballad type songs on this album with his guitar being the centre piece for every song.

Ed Sheeran is set to perform across the UK later this year on his sold out tour, however in the meantime ÷ is definitely an album to listen to. Whether or not you’re an Ed Sheeran fan, this album may well convert you. Presumably, it’s safe to say that this will definitely be one of the best selling albums of 2017 already.