Divide (÷)
Ed Sheeran
Genre: Pop
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Label: Atlantic Records
Review by Cassie Kolias
The evolution of Ed Sheeran as an artist in undeniably noticable in his third studio album, Divide. In its first day, Divide sold more than 230,000 copies, and is on track to be the best-selling album of the year.
Of all of his albums, Divide really showcases his talent, but takes his artistry to another level. Each song is so different from the one before it. The album starts with the first rap vocals of the project on “Eraser,”, immediately followed up with one of the album’s power-pop singles “Castle on the Hill,” an ode and love letter to where Sheeran grew up.
After that comes a classic Sheeran-style ballad “Dive,” followed immediately by arguably his most popular song, the club remix-worthy, "I heard it in my spin-class" track, “Shape of You.”
The appeal of Ed Sheeran comes in his ability to be a little bit of everything. He is one of the most romantic singer/songwriters of our time, and the token, but not forced, love song of this album is “How Would You Feel (Paean)”. It delivered everything I wanted from the “Kiss Me” and “Thinking Out Loud” singer. But this is the same songwriter who can also rap and be jaded (think of his track, “Don’t) and write a track like “New Man” a quite funny track about a metrosexual man replacing him with a former love. Simultaneously, he can have fun with “Galway Girl,” an Ireland-inspired, rap-pop infusion, and it just works so well.
Divide is Ed Sheeran at his best. It’s fun, funny, heartbreaking, and romantic in a formula that only he could produce.
Ed Sheeran
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