After 3 years, Ed Sheeran has just released a new album: ÷ (Divide). So far, the album has been extremely successful on the charts, reaching numerous top spots. However, does this album live up to his two earlier albums and his EPs?
I believe it depends what you were expecting from Ed Sheeran in his new music. If you were looking for the same sound as + (Plus) or from his early EPs, then Divide was most likely disappointing, especially after waiting so long for its release. This album is much more pop-sounding than his other music, with less focus on the acoustic guitar, loop-pedal, and singer-songwriter vibes that Sheeran became famous for. Divide is much more upbeat and to me, many of his newest songs have lost their witty and moving lyrics than fans have grown to love. The loss of the singer-songwriter base makes Divide vastly different than his other works, however, I do not believe that this is a bad album.
Sheeran delivers with his voice. Gifted with a beautiful singing voice and the ability to beat-box and rap as well, Sheeran doesn't disappoint in the quality of singing. However, his instrumental sound has definitely changed. Before, his songs were reliant on his guitar, beat-boxing, and loop pedal, and now he is incorporating sounds from the piano, fiddle, and drums, among other instruments. To some, this is a pleasant change, but to many long-time fans, seeing the guitar and loop pedal disappear from his works is saddening.
If you expected Sheeran to change his sound even more with this new album, then I find it to be a huge success.One could easily see a shift from singer-songwriter in Sheeran's music was slowly but surely happening from the change in sound from Plus to x (Multiply). He kept elements of his older music while changing his sound just enough to make it new and unexpected. Songs like "Galway Girl" and "Nancy Mulligan" bring in a Celtic flare that Sheeran hasn't utilized before, with sounds of the fiddle and chants. Other songs like "Bibia Be Ye Ye" and "Barcelona," while not the most lyrically deep, are upbeat and have a cheerful tone to them, and are great to play in the car and sing along to. His hip-hop influence can be seen in "New Man" and "Eraser." Sheeran, known for his romantic ballads, doesn't disappoint with the songs "Perfect" and "Dive." Lastly, songs like "Save Myself" and "Supermarket Flowers" are lyrically deep, making up for the lack of deeper lyrics in other songs on the album. Talking of his grandmother's death and how he copes with facing his flaws and mental health, Sheeran proves that while he is changing his sound, he isn't completely abandoning his emotionally open lyrics.
Whether Divide was a triumphal success or a bitter disappointment is up to the listener and what sound they were hoping from Ed Sheeran. To old fans, this album may seem as a step down from his previous works. However, to those looking for a change in his sound, then this album will be on repeat for months.
