I want to start off by saying that if you know me at all, you know I love Ed Sheeran. He's my all-time favorite musician. That being said, his third album just isn't doing it for me. I'll be honest: I was quite disappointed by it. Not only does it lack the poetic lyrics that tug on my heartstrings, it's lost that special "just a man and his guitar" feeling. Ed's new album, "Divide," is overproduced and truly not that powerful. I'm still going to memorize every single song, but it's my least favorite album thus far. Here is my song-by-song breakdown of where it went wrong.
1. "Eraser"

2. "Castle on the Hill"

3. "Dive"

4. "Shape of You"
This is the first song I heard from Ed's album, and it is still one of my favorites. It is so catchy that I can't help but bop my head every time it comes on, and the world agrees. "Shape of You" has been on the top 10 chart since it debuted. My only complaint is how mainstream it sounds; you would never guess it was an Ed Sheeran song.
5. "Perfect"

6. "Galway Girl"

7. "Happier"
I've listened to this song so many times, and I have no idea what to say about it. It's reminiscent of some of Ed's older, slower songs that I love. The lyrics almost tugged at my heartstrings, but not quite. I wish he'd spent more time on the words of this song to really give it that extra oomph.
8. "New Man"

9. "Hearts Don't Break Around Here"
I think this is the most forgettable song on the album. It's not amazing and it's not bad. (Although, can any Ed Sheeran song truly be bad?) It's right in the middle. It's a love song, but the lyrics aren't very impressive. Meh. That being said, it is the perfect rhythm to slow dance to with your significant other.
10. "What Do I Know?"
The message to this song is simple but so important because Ed says, "love can change the world." It's been stuck in my head more than any song on the album. However, I think it sounds like a song that would be performed on a children's TV show to teach them a lesson about spreading love in the world. It doesn't sound very mature.
11. "How Would You Feel (Paean)"

12. "Supermarket Flowers"

13. "Barcelona"
I love the Spanish vibes in this song. It is very unlike Ed to sing in another language and to include the Latin track in the background. I felt like his words didn't line up with the background music as well as they could have. That being said, pass the sombrero. I'm booking a flight to Barcelona ASAP.
14. "Bibia Be Ye Ye"
This song is extremely catchy, but I have no idea what "Bibia Be Ye Ye" means. The lyrics tell a story about drunken antics and paint a picture of Ed getting trashed, losing his stuff, and then finding it again. I honestly have no clue what the point of this song is.
15. "Nancy Mulligan"
This is my least favorite song on the album. I'm sure it has significant meaning to Ed, but I just can't get into it. It's not relatable and the background track really annoys me.
16. "Save Myself"

I felt bad writing this article because it is truly painful for me to say anything bad about an artist I admire so much. I think that Ed is in a sort of mid-life crisis right now as he tries to deal with fame and the pressures that come with it. I hope that Ed finds his groove again and releases a fourth album that knocks my socks off.




























