Ed Sheeran’s Divide Introduces Listeners into the Mind of the British Artist

Singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran, released his third studio album “÷” in March of 2017 that allowed listeners to enter the mind of Sheeran. The album includes 16 songs ranging from slow love ballads to upbeat dance music. Much like Sheeran’s previous two albums (+ and x) released in 2011 and 2014 respectively, he tells stories of heartbreak and adventure through his music in “÷”.

Sheeran introduced listeners to the new album in January 2017 with two singles, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill.” Both songs were record breakers in multiple countries, and hit the top charts in the U.S. in a matter of hours.

The music in this particular album, takes the listener to an interesting place where Sheeran sings of his childhood, parents, grandparents, and home in England. The entire album can be “divide”-d into two main sub-categories dealing with love and life. In these two categories listeners can relate to the stories Sheeran shares of his family, falling in love, falling out of love, and the happiness and pain that everyone feels in their lifetime. Much like most of Sheeran’s music, this album features a folk based sound while still incorporating more popular sounds. It also combines acoustic instruments with electronic sounds.

The album begins with “Eraser”, which sets the storyline for the rest of the album. “Eraser” introduces the listener to Sheeran and his background. This particular song gives new listeners an understanding of where Sheeran comes from, and gives fans and returning listeners a new perspective that on the artist that has not been offered before. In this song, he sings of chasing his dream, and becoming a famous artist. The song concludes by introducing the listener to the rest of the album by referencing the one-year social media hiatus Sheeran took during 2016. “Welcome to the new show; I guess you know I’ve been away; Where I’m heading who knows; My heart will stay the same,” Sheeran repeats throughout the song. The song is a good introduction to the new album to differentiate it from his past music. Opening with a fast-paced song draws the listener into the rest of the album and sparks an interest for the next 15 songs.

Divide continues with one of the first singles released in early 2017, “Castle on the Hill”.

Much slower in pace compared to “Eraser,” “Castle on the Hill” recounts the artist’s childhood of growing up in England and spending time with his friends from childhood, to his teen years, and finally adulthood. The song closes with a recount of the friends he spent his time with on the hill, and how all of their lives ended up, mostly sad.

“Dive”, the third song on the album, has much more soul to it. Unlike the previous two songs, Sheeran taps into the idea of romance, and chasing love and understanding what is important in a relationship. “So don’t call me baby; Unless you mean it; And don’t tell me you need me; If you don’t believe it; So let me know the truth; Before I dive right into you”. Torn between loving this girl and knowing that she doesn’t truly want him, Sheeran sings about the possibility of a relationship.

Sheeran’s second single is the fourth song on the album. “Shape of You” has a reggae type feel with steel drums and a story of a girl Sheeran is in love with. “Shape of You” is perfect for dancing, it is upbeat and features a good rhythm.

Comparable to previous albums, Sheeran includes a chart-topping love ballad. This time it is called “Perfect”, similar to “Thinking Out Loud” from the Multiply album, and “Kiss Me” off of Plus. Perfect is Sheeran’s typical love story that is included in each of his albums. “Perfect” describes a girl who doesn’t know how beautiful she is, but Sheeran recognizes her beauty. He then dreams up their future as they dance barefoot in the grass in the hills of England. The lyrics are beautiful and artistic. “Perfect” can also be compared to “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here”, track number nine of the Divide album. Both feature the idea of finding the “perfect” love and romance.

Following “Perfect” is another love song. “Galway Girl” recounts the story of a fiddle player in an Irish band. She is almost like a modern take on “Nancy Mulligan” a song that comes later in the album. Sheeran depicts her as a fun-loving girl who falls in love with an English man and takes him on the night of his life. This is another fun and upbeat dance song.

Songs seven and eight on the album “Happier” and “New Man” can be categorized in the same sense of anger and jealousy. “Happier”, the softer of the two songs, recounts seeing the girl Sheeran was in love with, with her new boyfriend. “New Man”, has a more angry tone where Sheeran wants nothing to do with learning about his past love’s new relationship (possibly the same one referenced in “Happier”?). He recalls how this particular girl has changed since she met this “new man”.

Track numbers ten and eleven, titled “What Do I Know?” and “How Would You Feel (Paean)” are some of the more forgettable songs. Since they fall in towards the end of the album and their storylines are not as memorable, they do not have the same feeling as many of the other songs featured on Divide.

“Supermarket Flowers” is the saddest song of the album. Its mellow tone and story gives the listener a feeling of heartbreak and loss. “Supermarket Flowers” is the story of the death of Sheeran’s mother. The beautiful song says “Spread your wings as you go; And when God takes you back; He’ll say, ‘Hallelujah, you’re home.’” As the song continues Sheeran recounts every step he took to clean up after his mother died. While the song is tragic, there is a beauty to it in the melody and the lyrics.

“Barcelona”, track number 13, brings back the face-paced songs for this particular album. This song is very fast with Hispanic influences to go along with the title and story of the song. “Las Ramblas, I’ll meet ya, come on and dance with me, in Barcelona; Drinking Sangria, I just want to be in Barcelona; Mamacita, rica, feel that summer breeze in Barcelona; Los otros, viva la vida, siempre vida Barcelona”. The Spanish influence differentiates this song from all of the other tracks on this album.

One of the most interesting songs on Divide is titled “Bibia Be Ye Ye”. This song is filled with African influences, from the beat to the lyrics themselves. “Bibia Be Ye Ye” translates to “everything will be alright”. The song repeats the line “Se enioma enko ye (if thing’s aren’t working out); Bibia Be Ye Ye (everything will be alright)” leaving the listener with a positive and motivated sense of being.

“Nancy Mulligan” is one of Sheeran’s most personal songs on the album. The real Nancy Mulligan was his grandmother, and the song recounts the love story of his grandparents. The song is Irish influenced with a folk song type rhythm.

The final track on the Divide album is titled “Save Myself”. The song is slow and is a very strong way to conclude the Divide album. Since the album begins with such a personal, but still up-beat song, it is artistic to close the album with a song about self-love and choosing yourself over others when all you do is give to them. Sheeran’s song concludes with “And before I love someone else, I’ve got to love myself”. Such powerful words are a strong conclusion to an artistic portfolio.

The album is relatable to listeners since there are so many songs that can be understood by various subcultures. Young adults can relate to the songs of love, both romance and heartbreak. While the album is targeted for teens and young adults, older people may also be able to relate to songs like “Castle on the Hill” where Sheeran thinks of growing up in his hometown. The album is put together well with a mix of sounds, rhythms, and paces. Divide is also very interesting in this sense because of the mix of songs that are featured on the album. There is a song for every taste from slow songs, to folk songs, fast-paced dance music, and more. Ed Sheeran’s Divide is available on Spotify and iTunes.

Published April 2018 in CHC281