Have you ever wondered what Ed Sheeran would sound like blissfully happy, in love and (mostly) sober? Well, Equals is it.
Pop’s favourite crooner is back with another unpronounceable album – we kid, = is simply Equals – more than four years since his last chart-topping offering Divide.
It certainly got off to a strong start with the singer claiming the UK’s number one spot on the singles chart for 15 weeks with Bad Habits and Shivers combined.
A lot has happened in the time since we were last officially acquainted with Ed; he’s turned 30, married the love of his life, become a dad for the first time and, for balance, collaborated with Friends legend Courteney Cox. So basically, it’s been pretty eventful for someone who sought to take time off work to chill out.
It’s also clear that in the past few years, Ed has found true happiness – and not the I’m-simply-content-and-coasting-through-life-right-now kind. It’s the mushy, makes you want to run in a field of daisies, kind of happiness.
If you’ve not experienced this yet, Equals might be the closest you’ll get to it for now.
Much like Adele, his female superstar counterpart, Ed has become synonymous with ballads for weddings, funerals and just your casual Monday. Thinking Out Loud, Photograph and Perfect are among the songs that have become staples in Ed’s catalogue when he dips into his sentimental bag. Don’t and Shape Of You are the ones to get your hips moving, while Sing and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You are great for a rap-a-long.
At 14 tracks long, Equals pretty much dips into all of these bags but probably not enough of the latter two.
While it still holds the familiar essence of Ed’s artistry with a range of instruments and his expert storytelling, it does danger into bombarding us with too many sentimental numbers lumped together. As far as the ballads go, it does begin to feel as though you’ve heard them before.
They range from the honest and sentimental as heard on First Times to sugary sweet on The Joker and The Queen, which wouldn’t sound too out of place on a Disney soundtrack.
To his credit, he does tow the line with 80s disco on Overpass Graffiti and country with Love In Slow Motion.
It sonically may not be a complete departure from the Ed Sheeran of yesteryear, but his growth as a person shines through in the songwriting.
First Times reads like a true diary entry as Ed recalls how he ‘thought it’d feel different performing at Wembley’, and how he ‘cleared the room’ after the concert to decompress with wife Cherry, while also detailing his intimate proposal to his childhood sweetheart. While he’s known for being down-to-earth, it feels like this is the moment Ed truly came to the realisation that family is more important than fame and success.
Deeply personal songs like Leave Your Life, in which Ed professes his life-long love for Cherry, are among his most vulnerable yet.
We’re later introduced to an Ed we’ve definitely never seen before – Ed Sheeran, the father.
Penned for his 15-month-old daughter Lyra, Sandman is a sweet lullaby that will no doubt have every parent swaying beside their children’s cots at bedtime, desperately praying the xylophone will be enough to soothe them to sleep while simultaneously feeling consumed with love for their little ones with Ed’s sweet lyrics warming their hearts.
It isn’t an album with a drastic change in direction that will shock – Ed knows where he excels and delivers what the fans want. However, it is the album that perhaps, lyrically at least, will bookmark his new era – the one where he positively grew up.
It is an album that, for the most part, seems to really belong to Ed personally and not written for the generic masses but you can still have a good time on his ride.
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