When I first listened to Ed Sheeran’s “Visiting Hours,” a song from his newest album “Equals,” tears streamed down my face. I was transported to the genius of his masterpieces “The A Team,” “I See Fire,” and “Afterglow.”
The gentle piano and guitar accompaniment highlights Sheeran’s soaring vocals in one of his most passionate and emotional performances yet.
I did not expect such a heartfelt, touching song to cue up on my Spotify playlist after the vibey pop song “Bad Habits” was released a few weeks prior. Reminiscent of “Supermarket Flowers,” this track is a refreshing and lovely surprise in Sheeran’s highly anticipated pop album.
As Sheeran’s first album since becoming a husband and father, “Equals” dwells on themes of family, the steadfastness of love, the importance of slowing down to enjoy the little moments, and the reality of time and death, lending a sense of maturity and gravity to Sheeran’s lyrics.
“This is my favourite album I’ve made,” Sheeran said in an Instagram post, “I’m so proud of it.”
True to the successful habits of his previous albums, “Plus”, “Multiply,” and “Divide,” Sheeran’s new album features several crowd favorites already popular on TikTok, including “Bad Habits” and “Shivers.”
While many have faulted Sheeran with a lack of creativity and uniqueness in “Equals,” there is something nostalgic and comforting about consistency in an artist’s musical and lyrical style.
“Equals” provides the lyrical and musical consistency that the world loves and has come to expect from Ed Sheeran, while subtly showcasing his personal growth and willingness to experiment with new musical elements and a new focus for the entire album.
Gone are the days of Sheeran pining for his exes and partying with his “pretty little Galway girl.” “I have grown up, I am a father now / Everything has changed,” Sheeran sings in “Tides.” Time to shake those bad habits of youth and be a good example.
But no one wants to listen to a new Ed Sheeran album without a few classic love songs. After all, who else is going to provide the new all-time favorite wedding slow-dance song? We’re all a little tired of “Perfect,” sorry Ed.
While this new album doesn’t give us a song quite to the caliber of “Thinking Out Loud” or “Photograph,” “Joker and the Queen” is a sweet, reflective tribute to Sheeran’s wife. This song is one of the calmer tracks, showcasing Sheeran’s musical well-roundedness and highlighting his tender vocals and lyrics with acoustic guitar, a simple piano melody, and orchestral strings.
While Sheeran’s latest album is mostly a triumph, he could have cut the less unique, rather mundane tracks to preserve the refreshing quality of “Equals.”
“Equals” ends on one of the few minor key tracks of the album with “Be Right Now,” but the hopeful message of the song is emphasized by the fast tempo and club ‘80s beat. “I don’t wanna miss one thing / We can turn the whole world down / And listen to the in-between” Sheeran says, “Just stay here and be right now.”
No matter what the critics say, Sheeran’s first album release since 2017 is a satisfying summation to his mathematically-named albums, and skillfully shows his personal and professional growth. Sheeran has embraced his synthetic, R&B leanings foreshadowed in previous releases while gifting his fans with the classic, acoustic songs we all associate with Ed Sheeran.
