Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Ed Sheeran, Atlantic Records 2019.
The hard working international sensation Ed Sheeran has released the sixth album in his collaborations project and his creative output seems to be inexhaustible.
Ed’s reputation means he never has trouble getting the cream of the crop of artists to work with him and on the 15 tracks on this album he’s worked with 22 collaborators including Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Khalid, Eminem, Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Stormzy and many more.
Prior to the release of this album Ed released five tracks including I Don’t Care (featuring Justin Bieber) which has been the longest running No. 1 single in the UK this year after spending eight weeks at the top of the charts.
The other four tracks have also charted well. They are Cross Me featuring Chance The Rapper & PnB Rock, Beautiful People featuring Khalid, Blow with Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars, and The Best Part Of Me featuring Yebba.
This particular album contains more hip-hop than the previous releases and it shows just how much Ed’s influence has spread across the many genres of popular music.
It also reveals his status as a producer as well as a songwriter and musician.
When it comes to the music business Ed Sheeran does it all.
Sheeran’s rise has been incredible.
He doesn’t seem to have been around long enough to have accumulated the treasure-trove of awards he’s amassed.
In a less than exhaustive list he’s been awarded an MBE for his services to music and his charity work, he was crowned IFPI’s best-selling artist of 2017, won 4 Grammys, 4 Ivor Novellos, 6 Brit Awards and 7 Billboard Awards.
This album is a testament to Ed’s undeniable talent as a writer, musician, producer and collaborator.
While the music on this album may not necessarily be my first choice in listening it’s hard to deny the artistry involved in the catchy blend of pop and hip-hop Ed has created.
