The first time I heard a full Ed Sheeran song was in 2011, when I (as a huge Harry Potter fan) was delighted to find out that Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley, of course) was going to be in a music video. I had heard a few mumblings about this red-haired singer, but “Lego House” was my real introduction to his music. I may have came for Rupert, but I left with an interest to hear more.
Since then, Ed has performed on (to name a few) the Grammys, SNL, Ellen, The Tonight Show and acted as Taylor Swift’s opening act on her “Red” tour, showing that he has come a long way since his debut album “Plus” arrived.
With his rise to success, it seems like fans have had to wait a long time to hear new music from Ed. As the news of his sophomore album arrived, I was both excited and nervous to see what he had in store.
“Multiply” does a great job of showing off Ed’s signature styles, while also evolving his sound further. “Plus” was notable for it’s acoustic sound, but this album allows for more production. The first single “Sing” is the greatest example of his evolving sound. Produced by Pharrell Williams, it is more pop and mainstream than Ed’s previous hits. It especially contrasts Ed’s most signature song “The A Team.”
Even with a few tracks trying out a new direction, the album features a great selection of slow and upbeat songs, as well as soulful and hip-hop sounds that greatly show off Ed’s many talents.
After a few listens, the songs that stood out the most for me were:
Don’t
Nina
Photograph
Runaway
The Man
Thinking Out Loud
I am excited to see what Ed will come up with his next album, and how he further adapts his sound. I just hope he manages to retain the personal feeling and one-man-band appeal he has today.
No comments:
Post a Comment