÷ (pronounced “divide”) is Ed Sheeran’s third studio album. The genre-defying LP
is the result of an artist who consistently pushes himself in new directions,
uncovering fresh musical ground using a seemingly limitless musical vocabulary.
Drawing inspiration from a host of personal experiences and subjects, Ed takes
you through a hugely personal journey; be that reflecting on past relationships,
family memories, his musical career or his time off travelling the world
in 2016.
Musically ÷ is an array of beautifully orchestrated and emotive ballads,
impassioned raps laid over hip hop beats, timeless acoustic guitar masterpieces
and innovative, idiosyncratic pop music. Unveiled last Friday,
Ed’s record-breaking dual comeback singles perfectly highlight one of the
distinct divides in his musical spectrum with “Castle On The Hill” (an ode
to his hometown of Framlingham, Suffolk) positioning itself towards a
stadium-ready, rockier sound and “Shape Of You” dismantling and rebuilding
modern-pop using little more than a loop pedal. ÷ will reveal everything
in-between whilst showcasing Ed’s impeccable guitar playing, peerless
lyricism, boundless musical palate and jarringly-honest, and often
autobiographical, storytelling – some of the reasons this much-loved talent
has built an undeniably loyal following across the globe. Executively produced
by Benny Blanco (Rihanna, The Weeknd) and Ed himself with further production
coming from Johnny McDaid, Mike Elizondo and Steve Mac, the album was recorded
between LA, London, Suffolk and RMS Queen Mary 2. Hugely representative of
modern times, both sonically and topically, ÷ reaffirms Ed as one of the
world’s most forward-thinking and versatile troubadours. Furthermore, Ed
created the album artwork concept, even painting the cover himself!
‘÷’ follows Ed’s previous record-breaking, multimillion-selling
albums ‘x’ (pronounced “multiply” – 2014) and ‘+’ (pronounced
“plus” – 2011). Spawning Ed’s first-ever Ivor Novello win in
2011 with “The A Team” winning ‘Best Song Musically and Lyrically’,
‘+’ has now sold over 9 million albums worldwide and is 9 x platinum in
the UK alone. His follow-up multi award-winning album ‘x’ has gone onto
become one of the most significant and record-breaking albums of this
millennium. 2014’s biggest AND fastest-selling album in the UK, it was
officially named one of the biggest-selling albums of all time by the Official
Chart Company last year: it has received over 3.5 BILLION streams to date.
Track list:
- Neon Signs
- Valentine
- Good Looking
- Johanna
- Coolest Place in the World
- Brutally