Ed Sheeran has just released yet another album titled ‘Play,’ an album that dives into his mental health through the loss and grief he has faced.
The tracklist of “Play” includes thirteen songs, the most popular being Azizam and Sapphire. “Coming out of all that [grief], I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring,” Sheeran said in a press release.
Additionally, some songs also feature famous artists and elements of South Asian or Middle Eastern music/instrumentation. For example, Sapphire features Indian music star Arijit Singh, while Azizam is the Farsi word for “my darling” and features the santur, an instrument of Iranian origin.
However, some critics argue that Sheeran’s new album has a heartfelt message but less authentic and raw lyrics- in addition to reiterating concepts of his earlier releases. Many sources have also mentioned that Sheeran’s lyrics feel almost insincere, undermining the heartfelt message behind the creation of this album the artist intended.
Some have even accused Sheeran of using AI in his lyrics for his track Symmetry in ‘Play,’ arguing that the lyrics lack Sheeran’s “personal touch” that he often adds into his songwriting.
The BBC even goes so far as to state that, “Instead, a good 50% of the tracks retreat to safer ground – slowly strummed songs of devotion, packed with valentine card sentiments. ‘You think you don’t have beauty in abundance, but you do,’ he sings on Camera, recycling the message that One Direction delivered with greater conviction in What Makes You Beautiful.”
Additionally, the album isn’t one of Sheeran’s highest-grossing albums either. Though it features artists from different countries and explores South Asian musical culture, it has received less public buzz than previous songs and album releases.
The real question is: Will Ed Sheeran ever regain the same booming popularity that he had in earlier years? Unfortunately, the answer is unclear. Depending on what new concepts Sheeran can branch out from, it’s clear that a larger wave of change might be necessary for Sheeran to garner more public attention.
So far, Play has reached around 630 million streams on Spotify, but this value seems considerably smaller compared to some of his other releases, such as Shape of You, which has reached around 4.2 billion streams.
When asked about Ed Sheeran’s new album, freshman Tara Gopalan said, “[Regarding my thoughts] on A Little More, the music video and lyrics are deep, I like the tune even though it sounds similar to other songs. [For] Azizam, the lyrics are kinda lazy, the beat is definitely something I’ve heard before,” she added. “Camera has a lovely backtrack, but I feel like all he does is make songs about how gorgeous ‘you’ are, and with Old Phone, I like the concept and lyrics, but his singing overpowers the guitar a bit.”
Lastly, Gopalan mentioned, “All in all, the album feels a bit disconnected because some [songs] are really deep and about regret, while others are more lighthearted.”
Freshman Olivia Seidel shared similar thoughts.
“It’s kind of boring, compared to the rest of his albums, and the music being produced right now. Some of his songs from this album are okay, but there are already so many songs that are either the same or different from what he’s making right now. However, I think my favorite song would have to be Slowly,” she said. “He’s a good singer, but I feel like his music didn’t ‘hit’ this time.”
Many fans are connected to Ed Sheeran’s music and have streamed his songs on music platforms all over the world. However, based on music critics and general audience appeal, Play just might be one of his least popular albums yet. However, there is still hope. Tides of trends are constantly turning, and new artists are rising to global fame quickly thanks to growing internet popularity.
While the data for Play could offer a minor setback to Sheeran’s career, it may provide fuel for any future album releases for the UK singer.
