Riley Mullgardt
Entertainment Editor
When the Instagram page “teddysphotos” posted on Jan. 1, the world knew Ed Sheeran was back.
After taking a break from music and social media the previous year, Sheeran released two singles, “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You” in the course of one day. Over the next three months, Sheeran posted hints and snippets of his new album, “Divide.”
This pop album dropped March 3, and according to Billboard is “aiming for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart with year’s biggest debut.”
Official Charts wrote that in 24 hours, “Divide” sold “232,000 physical and digital copies.”
Sheeran shared with The Irish Times, “The only things I can write about are being in love, friends and family, career or the place I grew up. That makes the album feel pretty reflective.”
Following his other albums, “Plus” and “Multiply,” “Divide” channels all the romantic feelings.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Sheeran discussed possibly the most romantic song ever, “Perfect.”
Sheeran said, “I wanted to beat ‘Thinking Out Loud’ [single from “Multiply”] because I know that song was gonna define me. … With ‘Perfect,’ it was like, ‘I need to write the best love song of my career.’”
That he did.
With the lyrics, “Darling, just hold my hand. Be my girl. I’ll be your man. I see my future in your eyes,” it’s hard not to swoon and have the urge to be in love.
Insecurities are a big deal and when Sheeran sang “When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful, I don’t deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight” it made them all disappear.
While Sheeran sings the third track on the album, “Dive,” his emotion pours through the speakers as he screams, “So don’t call me baby, Unless you mean it. Don’t tell me you need me, If you don’t believe it.”
Also featured on the album are songs that Sheeran dedicated to each of his grandparents.
“Nancy Mulligan,” a song with an Irish sound, is a happy song about how his grandparents fell in love and started their family.
Unlike “Nancy Mulligan,” the 12th song “Supermarket Flowers” is about his grandmother’s death. Sheeran shared in a track-by-track interview that he initially didn’t want to put it on the record, but his grandfather convinced him to do it.
“My grandfather just turned to me [at the funeral], he was like you have to put that out, that has to go on the record. It’s such a good memory. That’s why it’s ended up on there,” said Sheeran to JustJarredJr in an interview.
“Divide” features songs that have sounds Sheeran has never played before.
The song, “Barcelona” includes Sheeran speaking a little Spanish.
He teamed up with Ghanaian performer Fuse ODG for an Afrobeat song called “Bibia Be Ye Ye.”
Traditional Irish and folk band Beoga features on “Galway Girl” helping Sheeran get that desired sound.
“I grew up on Planxty and The Chieftains, and I really like Irish music. I don’t think enough people use it in pop music,” said Sheeran to the Irish Times.
Junior and Irish musician Kaelin Dooley said her favorites off ‘Divide’ are ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ because they feature one my favorite Irish bands, Beoga.”
In “What Do I Know?” Sheeran sings, “You know, the future’s in the hands of you and me, So let’s all get together, we can all be free, Spread love and understanding, positivity,” promoting love and positivity in the world.
“Divide” can be bought on iTunes for $12.99, in Target for $13.99, Walmart for $14.88 and Best Buy for $14.99.
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