Ed Sheeran comes out from hiding with hit album

Art+by+Victoria+Gorny

Art by Victoria Gorny

The beloved English singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran, has captured the hearts of millions across the world once again. His newest album, “Divide,” released on Friday, March 3, incorporated his usual guitar sound with hints of Irish folk styles in some of the new songs. Themes of this album include: passionate love, beautiful life, and destructing heartbreak.

Prior to “Divide,” Ed Sheeran’s previous album, “Multiply,” was released in 2014. After taking a year off from tours and social media, he returned in December of 2016, simply promoting a mysterious blue image, with no captions. This left the world confused, but he soon acknowledged that new music was coming. He first released “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill” in January. These became hits throughout the world and fans longed for the rest of the album.

“Divide” contains sixteen songs, including many genres of music. Upbeat hip-hop, slow singer-songwriter, and Irish folk are all featured on his latest album. This gives listeners everywhere an eclectic and diverse experience when listening to all of the songs for the first time. “Shape of You” is a song destined for any dance floor, while “Perfect” is fit for any romantic dance at a wedding. Other songs, such as “Supermarket Flowers” are about mourning over his grandmother’s death. The song meant so much to Sheeran and was so personal that he originally did not want to include it on the album, but his grandfather convinced him to release it with the album because it was such a sweet memory of her. Sheeran decided to include it as the last song on the track list.

One song in particular, “Save Myself” is a very important song for anyone and everyone to hear. In this song, Sheeran realizes he gives too much to others, and does not help himself. Young people around the world can learn that they need to love themselves before they can fully love anyone else. Hearing this in today’s society is very important for young people everywhere.

The new album showcases Sheeran’s intense vocal and instrumental abilities. The sixteen songs on the album total about sixty minutes. These sixty minutes are a  dynamic musical experience and an introspective view into the world of Ed Sheeran.