June 20^th, 2014. That was the last date that album music was released from Ed Sheeran. On this date he released “Multiply,” his second album. Then he went on tour to promote his album and then in December of 2015 he tweeted that he would be taking a break from social media and focusing more on his family and friends. This was the last that was heard from Ed Sheeran until exactly one year later when he tweeted nothing but a completely blue picture with not caption. This was later revealed to be the main color of his third album, and on the first day of the new year he tweeted a video saying that new music was to be expected that following Friday. Throughout the week he tweeted short clips of the beat and some of the lyrics to the songs that would be seen in the next album, presumably this one would be called “Divide.” When midnight on Friday rolled around, Ed released not only one, but two songs. These songs were called “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You.” At risk of sounding like a high school analytical essay, here is my opinion of the songs he has released:

“Castle on the Hill” is an amazingly well written song, but no less was expected when Ed Sheeran said that he would release more music. This song tells the story of his childhood and how the people he grew up with shaped him to be the person that he is today. He relives a few memories he had before he found fame, like him and his friends getting their first jobs at 15 and breaking his leg when he was only 6. He keeps singing about how he cannot wait to go home and how him and his friends have grown together through the years. There is a feeling that, because of the fame Ed now has, him and his friends had grown apart and he only sees them when he goes home, which would explain why he is so excited to be home and able to reconnect with these friends. Towards the end of the song he begins to say where his friends ended up and how their lives are now. Most of them are not doing well in the way that he says “one had two kids but lives alone, one’s brother overdosed” and “one is just barely getting by.” But then he goes and says “But these people raised me and I can’t wait to go home.” This is extremely powerful because he is saying that even if people aren’t doing well, he will still stay loyal to them and considers them important friends. Powerful lines like this are what Ed Sheeran is known for and I’m happy to say they’ve been a part of him since he released his first album in 2011 all the way until now.

“Shapes of You” has a catchy beat which is the main reason people have been saying it is their favorite out of the two. The lyrics to this one are not as deep and meaningful as the other, but they are still extremely well written and lead to a good and catchy song. This song is about how Ed Sheeran wants a more meaningful relationship, so he goes to bars instead of clubs. Eventually he finds someone and they end up in a relationship. The song follows how they meet and the story of their relationship, while Ed is constantly singing that he is “in love with [Her] body” and “in in love with the shape of [her].” It is a cute song with a catchy beat and fits with Ed’s style very well.

Overnight these songs had taken over the iTunes charts, comfortably resting in spots one and two. This is amazing just in the fact that there was little to no promotion for these songs and they still ended up doing as well as they did. This reaction is incredible and I can’t wait to see what Ed Sheeran has in store for us with the rest of the album.