I've been telling people about the release of Ed Sheeran's latest album "Divide" for months, and it is finally here. Some might call my excitement dramatic, but after hearing the collection of songs released this morning, I call it necessary. Not at all to my surprise, Ed did it again. He created a mix of every emotion that I can feel and collaborated them into an album, taking me low into his heartache of seeing his ex-girlfriend with her new man and then instantly pulling me back up into the chipper adventure of falling in love with a Galway girl. The 16 songs are even more than I expected, and it makes me have to wonder, "How does he do it?" What is it about Ed Sheeran that has made me and the world fall so madly in love? And, how does he continue to make us love him with every release? Well, who better to ask than Ed himself? To honor his six successful years as an artist, here are 10 reasons, supported by past quotes by Ed, to explain why we love him so much.
1. He's down to earth.
"I was on some TV shows with Lady Gaga the other week, and you could see the difference in reaction between her fans and my fans outside. She comes out, and she looks like a star, and the reaction is just tears, crying, people going, 'Oh my God, Oh my God.' My fans are like: 'Alright, Ed.'"
2. He's a true artist.
"I'm quite arty. I didn't know whether to become an artist or musician but I realized I could paint with music. All my songs have colours."
3. He's relatable, and his music is from the heart.
"My love songs are very personal and quite weird. They don't really have the big radio hit choruses because basically they're my therapy, stuff I have to get off my chest."
4. He has a strong work ethic.
"I think I've been around for a while. But I still have to pay my dues."
5. He has a sense of humor.
"I personally don't think ginger men have a habit of being attractive. We have to make ourselves seem attractive by doing stuff."
6. He has a humble side.
"I'd like to say that I'm a rock star, but I'm not - I'm honestly more of a relationship kind of guy. I'm a guy you could take home to meet your mum rather than a guy your mum wouldn't like."
Let's face it, Ed has blown up in the past few months. He is becoming the mega-star that all of his oldest fans knew he could be, and we couldn't be happier for him. However, even with all of the recent buzz, he still leaves little pieces of himself in every new album to remind us that the old Ed, the one with all six of these great qualities, is there behind the music. That is why I love Ed so much, and why I assume that the world is rapidly growing to love him too. I think Ed is one of the most lovable artists out there today, but in the words of the star himself, "What do I know?"
