While certainly not the first overtly-sensitive bloke to find success with a guitar and a mellow tune or two, English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has been on a seemingly never-ending roll these past few years, releasing hit after hit and breaking worldwide tour-taking records in the process, most recently selling out his two night residency at Hong Kong Disneyland, though breaking hearts yet again when the second show had to be cancelled due to uncooperative weather. In fact, the ginger singer’s ongoing ÷ (pronounced “divide”) tour has already brought in some US$432 million, while Forbes estimates his net worth to be around US$80 million. Not bad for a tousle-haired troubadour not long out of school.

His studiedly unstudied Mister Average charm, mellow persona and wilfully wispy chin have managed to capture the hearts of ‘Sheerios’ on a global basis. Admittedly, his catchy chart toppers and occasionally saccharine lyrics have also played a part in his indefatigable rise – all of which begs the question, what exactly are Ed Sheeran’s songs about? And what was it about his seemingly unremarkable upbringing that gifted him such a clearly prodigious talent?

His singer-songwriter persona – heartfelt chap with a guitar – seemed already fully formed when he released The A-Team, his debut single back in 2011. While many were enamoured by the song’s folksy qualities, underpinning it all was a far darker tale than a casual listen might suggest. In fact, its gentle melody masks the tragic story of a homeless woman (‘Angel’) who is obliged to become a sex-worker to support her Class-A drug habit.

According to Sheeran, the inspiration for the song came to him after he played a gig at a homeless shelter, presumably a locale where many similar hard-luck stories lurk. Whatever its exact genesis, it went on to be a smash hit for the young songsmith – debuting at number three on the UK Singles chart, while also scaling the Top 10s of Germany and Australia, to name but two. 

His success reached a new high with the release  of x (“multiply”) in 2014, his second album, which went on to top charts across the world, including securing the number one slot in the crucial US market. The break-out tune here was Thinking Out Loud, the third song from the album to be released as a single.

Declaring the soulful ballad to be his walking-down the- aisle song, many fans detected a new maturity lurking below the hummability of this particular ditty. While some saw his advocacy of fidelity and forever love as betraying a more adult world view, others cynically dismissed it as the product of his increasingly sophisticated personal PR mill.

While Thinking Out Loud would remain x’s signature anthem, the album’s fifth single, Photograph, also proved itself no slouch, going double-platinum in the UK and quadruple-platinum in the US. While that would be an astonishing achievement for any song, it’s particularly remarkable for one that nearly didn’t get released at all.

During the production of x, it was recorded some 60-70 times, with Sheeran apparently unconvinced it matched the feel of the rest of the album. As take 71, presumably, pressed all the opposite quality control buttons, the world did ultimately get to hear this brooding musical meditation on homesickness and the travails of long-distance love. It subsequently transpired that the track was a heartfelt paean, within which the lovestruck lyricist had coalesced his feelings about Nina Nesbitt, a fellow musician and his former girlfriend.

For many, it seems as though Sheeran’s entire oeuvre revolves around his emotional attachment to troubled, unloved or much-missed women. Despite his clear predilection for the ladies, though, he has managed to duck any suggestions that he is merely a jobbing Lothario, with his reputation for straightforward sentimentality and one-man-womanry remaining – perhaps surprisingly – intact. Indeed, in March 2017 with the release of his third and most recent album – ÷ (“divide”) – his role as the world’s pre-eminent choirboy-cum-chart-topper seemed more secure than ever.

Despite this, the now-super-rich strummer showed no sign of resting on his laurels. Indeed, he told one journalist that he’d approached the latest collection as though on a mission to write the best love song of his career. When Perfect, the fifth single from the album, hit the airwaves in August 2017, the overall sentiment of fans and the music press alike was: “Mission accomplished”.

Even for an artist no stranger to superlatives, Perfect did extraordinarily well. In total, it went on to reach number one on 36 national music charts across the world, with the consensus very much that this was, indeed, the best love song of Sheeran’s career – to date at least. As the song focussed on his relationship with girlfriend – and, later, wife – Cherry Seaborn, its success was doubly-sweet for the plectrum wielding poet.

Now, with the mixture of cheers and cries of disappointment (thanks to one of the shows becoming a victim of a downpour) of his Hong Kong audience still ringing in his ears, what’s next for the the boy-next door that the whole world loves? Well, a new album for one thing, with the smart money being on him issuing a new set of songs in time for Christmas 2019. The even smarter money goes on his upcoming – apparently Springsteen-influenced – release being entitled – (“minus”). Even if he does surprise fans and dumps his love of mathematical album titles, it is most unlikely, however, to subtract from his global popularity.

Text: Bailey Atkinson

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