On September 12, singer and songwriter, Ed Sheeran, released his eighth studio album, “Play.” The album features 13 tracks that are a various mix of upbeat, sad and melancholy songs, but all of them really show the vulnerability that Sheeran has in his music.
The first track in the album, “Opening,” is an extremely emotional and vulnerable ballad and rap. The lyrics reflect very specific and personal challenges that the singer had gone through in life. They also talk about how he has to keep strong for his family. The shift from a ballad to rap proves to be a symbolic shift in the singer leaving behind the past and moving into a more joyful period of life.
Sheeran also incorporates more culturally diverse inspirations, specifically in the tracks, “Azizam,” “Symmetry” and “Sapphire.” They are a blend of English, Punjabi, Hindi and Persian lyrics. Sheeran was inspired by these cultures and languages when he went on tour in South Asia and the Middle East, and seamlessly blends these cultures together into really innovative and unique sounds. The song “Sapphire” features Indian singer and composer, Arijit Singh, who sings his own verse in his native language. The song is an upbeat and fun blend of sounds and culture that really showcases both of the artists’ versatile and unique voices and song-writing abilities.
Another song on the track, “Old Phone,” gives more of that classic Ed Sheeran, storytelling vibe, with just an acoustic guitar as the instrumental. The lyrics reflect when the singer had turned on his old phone from 2015, and found a bunch of messages from old friends that had passed and people that he no longer had a relationship with. The context behind the song adds even more emotion and nostalgia to the lyrics because in 2015, Sheeran went through a long legal battle where he was ultimately proven not guilty on the accusation of copyright infringement for his hit song, “Thinking Out Loud.”
There are a few songs that resemble the more classic love songs that Sheeran is known for. “In Other Words,” “The Vow,” “For Always,” “Camera” and “Heaven,” are all more soft compared to the first tracks, but are equally as powerful. They are all a different ,yet beautiful version of falling in love and the ever-powerful strength that love holds. A personal favorite of mine, “In Other Words,” is a beautiful song with just the accompaniment of a piano in which the lyrics are asking their love to give them everything, the good and the bad, forever. It is the kind of song that would be played at a wedding.
In contrast to these, “A Little More,” and “Don’t Look Down,” focus on the heartbreak and pain that can come with love. “A Little More,” is a blend of R&B and pop sounds that work together to create an almost funky beat. The lyrics are a contrast to the upbeat vibe, reflecting how the singer feels more hatred towards someone they used to love everyday.
Overall, I would give this album a ten out of ten. The raw and emotional vulnerability that Sheeran produces is something that cannot be repeated. The worldly influences add to the uniqueness of the album and versatility of the singer, and yet he still manages to preserve his original nostalgia, while simultaneously letting go of the past and moving onto a brighter and better future.
