I’ll be honest, I don’t get the hype. Ed Sheeran ‘dropped’ two songs in January ‘Castle on the Hill’ and ‘Shape of You’, which sounds like a Calvin Harris cast-off. Since then it seems everyone has been playing them on repeat and filling my Facebook feed with chat about about them. I can’t be doing with it.
He has SIXTEEN songs in the top 20 of the charts, which more than anything speaks volumes about the state of current pop music. If the music of a ginger guy with an acoustic guitar and questionable lyrics – “I was younger then”, well obviously Ed, I was younger 5 minutes ago, what of it? – is that popular, then call me ignorant, but I don’t get it.
I heard ‘Castle on the Hill’ in Venue the other week, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the amount of people singing along made the whole thing even worse. Speaking of that song, this video tells you all you need to know. And David Brent’s ‘Freelove Freeway’ is the better song. Ed is the kind of guy I can imagine bringing out his guitar in a Brent-like moment.
Another of his new songs, ‘Galway Girl’, came on the radio the other day. I was willing to like it, open mind and all that. But what I heard was a song that resembled a second rate parody of ‘C’est La Vie’ by B*Witched, only worse.
And don’t get me started on his attempts to rap, I cringe whenever I hear it. Not only in ‘Galway Girl’, but also in ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’, which is second only to ‘Rude’ by Magic! as my least favourite pop song of the decade.
Like Ed Sheeran if you want, I’m not judging, I promise. I’m also aware of quite how grumpy this article makes me sound, but sometimes you just miss the boat on something. I’m willing to like Ed Sheeran, but his sheer popularity has me properly baffled, dumbstruck even. Sixteen songs in the top 20? I can’t get over that.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Ed is a nice guy, and I’d happily go for a pint with him. As long as he doesn’t bring his guitar. I’d bring some earplugs just in case.
Featured image credit: BBC
Boy I’ve loved music and it’s ups & downs since I was a kid in the early 60s – have seen & heard it all – nothing new these days after many shifts in fashion but ES – what????? – grimly miserable at best let alone witnessed the angst so much more genuinely quite a few decades ago, Good on ES if he’s succeeded in giving attention & letting people pay very good money for something so jaded in style, totally unoriginal and totally boring and lazy. I am in my 60s now and love so much music but ES – please do something that doesn’t disrespect those of us who remember the days of bringing so much music to the fore and when angst meant something, You seem like a nice guy who could happily fill a small back bar room on a soggy Wednesday night but fans – young ‘uns – don’t think this miserable stuff is anything he or you have just discovered, Good on ya’ ES for being the unwitting recipient of an ignorant and lazy audience – not your fault – don’t think you were in it for the money, just think you were a very lucky back room strummer – absolutely nothing original whatsoever
I agree. Saw one of his CD’s in the bargain bin at the music shop. thought I’d give it a go. The music is ok but I really don’t see the big deal and why people are going nuts over him. Lenny Kravits released an album about 2 years ago and it wasn’t his best work but it still had a lot more originality and tune. Still i guess Ed must be doing something right to do well. I guess it is not just the artists music but also how their all round character is also. i guess he’s just got the winning combo! 🙂
I’ve been wondering who the heck this guy is and why people are talking about him. After listening to his music, I still don’t understand what the big deal is.
Ed Sheeran..I don’t get it either
I can just sense the jealousy.