Ed’s star continues to rise with his recent Glastonbury Festival headline performance pulling in one of the festival’s biggest ever crowds, and his third studio album ÷ (pronounced “divide”) reigns as 2017’s biggest-selling album of the year so far, having sold over 8 million copies worldwide in the space of just three months.
If that wasn’t enough, the young artist has recently been awarded a Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award for his contribution to music, and is soon to be honoured with an MBE for his services to music and charity. One thing is for sure, he’s a talented guy.
As he’s just announced a 2018 Ireland stadium tour (tickets on sale Saturday 8 July), we thought it was time we put our love and dedication for the singer-songwriter into words. Here are 12 reasons why we LOVE Ed Sheeran:
1. Because he’s incredibly down-to-earth
You only need to watch an interview with Ed, or follow his Twitter, to see that he’s a very humble guy who’s relatable on so many levels. Even though he has achieved amazing success in his career to-date, he doesn’t let it get to his head.
2. Because he doesn’t fit the Music Industry norm, and he’s OK with that
Ed struggled to get a recording contract at the start of his career, and was even told that he should focus on song-writing because he didn’t have the right “look”. He persevered, and is now proof that hard work and talent can take you far.
3. Because he can actually sing
Ed’s vocal stylings suit a wide range of genres, so whether he’s rocking a more up-tempo number that makes you want to dance around, or a slower ballad that makes you swoon, his dulcet tones can’t be ignored!
4. Because he basically dedicated an entire album to his Irish roots
Ed’s latest album, Divide, samples traditional Irish folk sounds. Fiddle, pan flute, and Irish melodies aren’t typically featured on pop albums, and Ed had to fight hard to keep Galway Girl on the album. He said: “They were really, really against Galway Girl, because apparently folk music isn’t cool.”
Well, he sure showed them. He also nods to his Irish roots on other tracks including Shape of You, Irish Heartbeat, Carrickfergus, and Nancy Mulligan.
5. Because he slept on Jamie Foxx’s sofa before he made it big
6. Because of this performance
7. Because he writes song lyrics we all adore
Ed’s lyrics are not only very relatable and honest, but focus on love, loss, friendship, family, and his struggles with fame. His music has attracted a diverse fan-base, from a broad range of age groups and backgrounds. Set to catchy hooks, his meaningful words are very hard to NOT sing along to.
8. Because he took a year off to get away from it all
Ed has spoken publically about his issues with anxiety, and that after the runaway success of his second album he decided to take a year off, as well as going cold turkey on social media – for a full year!
9. Because sometimes he gets drunk and silly, just like the rest of us
10. Because he’s always surprising us
Whether it’s changing up his sound or making music videos no one was expecting, Ed seems to always have his finger on the pulse, and is constantly surprising us with what he does next. Did anyone think this slightly awkward and shy singer-songwriter would learn to dance for the sake of Thinking Out Loud?
11. Because he does his thing raw
With today’s brand of pop music, it would be rare for a performer to be able to keep a huge crowd entertained without backing dancers, costume changes, acrobatics, and pyrotechnics. Ed often performs with just his voice, a guitar, and a loop pedal. And the crowds love it!
12. Because he genuinely cares
Reports of Ed’s generosity, as well as his down-to-earth way of communicating with fans, are well-known, but for those who questioned his kind nature, his participation in Comic Relief this year showed just what kind of character he has. While many celebrities travel to impoverished areas annually in a bid to raise donations from the public, few feel the need to get involved to the level that Ed did in Liberia.
Tickets for Ed Sheeran’s NI & ROI tour go on sale Saturday 8 June from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.