Album cover for Ed Sheeran album “Play”. Photo Credit: Ed Sheeran’s Webstore
Ed Sheeran at his prime was one of the pop music industry’s most prolific singer-songwriters. After a downturn of poor critical reception, will his most recent album be enough to captivate listeners?
Last month, Ed Sheeran dropped his eighth studio album, “Play.” With a runtime of one hour, the 15-track record is self-reflective, but struggles to create a consistent narrative.
Ed Sheeran is an extremely accomplished artist, sitting at the helm of multiple industry shaking songs like “Shape of You,” “Perfect,” “Thinking Out Loud” and, my favorite, “Castle on the Hill.”
At his best, the 36-year-old singer maintains a lyrically unique delivery and energizing production.
On his Instagram, Sheeran stated that this album was the “result of the darkest time of his life”- likely referring to the sudden death of his best friend Jamal Edwards.
He stated that he wanted to “explore cultures, create joy, and technicolor,” boasting about how the album was crafted across the globe while he was touring.
The album itself is highly nuanced. It had strong, redeeming qualities but displayed much needed growth, dragging the album’s listening value down.
However, vocal production on this album is excellent. Sheeran’s voice is resonant and clear, capturing his signature rasp that assists in the delivery of his emotive songs.
There’s also clear inspiration from South Asian and Middle Eastern music, which adds a unique flair to multiple tracks.
My biggest gripe while listening was the inconsistency in messaging. Sheeran marketed the album as something to invoke joy. However, half the album is downtempo, introspective and morose in tone.
Sheeran explores several deep topics, like death in “Old Phone” or his devotion to his wife in “The Vow”- but all of these themes are inconsistent with how he frames his body of work. They simply do not exude a sense of joy.
Lyricism, which is also a staple of Sheeran’s discography, is relatively weak in this album. I admittedly enjoyed the sparse rapped verses, which featured unique structures and flows. The rest of the album, however, struggles to create a compelling soundscape.
Songs like “In Other Words” are painfully predictable, and they simply are not adequate for how wildly popular the musician has become.
His delivery comes across as self-aware, but it rarely provides meaningful context for his thoughts, aspirations or personal life.
A useful comparison is the criticism directed at Sheeran’s friend, Taylor Swift, who faced mixed reviews for her last two albums. Swift’s “Midnights” and “The Tortured Poets Department” were both critically received as overly introspective to the point of obscuring a consistent narrative.
What counteracts this, though, is Swift’s ability to remain dynamic. She takes complex thoughts and provides a spin of perspective with a wide range of emotions. Yet, she remains lyrically innovative.
Sheeran, on the other hand, does not bring these qualities to the table.
Sheeran has endured obvious trauma, which should not be downplayed. However, reiterating the same circumstances without new perspectives, emotions or outcomes causes his general message to fall flat.
He sings about things that have transpired in his life, but he fails to make relevant connections or tie them to a central message.
The album feels like an ambitious but uneven project. Sheeran’s willingness to be vulnerable is commendable. However, the album’s inconsistent messaging undermines its impact.
“Play” is not without resonance, but it ultimately struggles to balance any of the emotions it encapsulates, leaving listeners with a record that feels more fragmented than transformative.
