Ever since we gave a listen to “Bad Habits”, the very first single of Ed Sheeran’s brand new baby, you could tell something has changed. Four and a half years after the release of his third solo album, % (Divide), and the overwhelming success within the charts and world tour that followed, = (Equals) is finally here to break records all over again. Great news for the fans of the redhead British star!
As the lyrics of “Visiting Hours” tell us, “so much has changed since you’ve been away”. After launching his last studio album in 2019, No. 6 Collaborations Project, Ed announced he was retiring from the stage for a while, to properly focus on his newly-formed family. This lifestyle change can be easily seen – well, heard – throughout the whole tracklist. While his deep love for his wife, who Sheeran has said has made him a better man, can be drawn from the lyrics of “Leave Your Life”, “Collide”, “Shivers” or “First Times”, his recent fatherhood is otherwise present in “Sandman”: “You were loved before you had arrived/ And every day that love just multiplies/ Daddy made your bed and your lullaby”.
Besides the lyrical shift, a new aesthetic in his music videos brings with it vibrant and upbeat rhythms. Simply take a look at his latest video, “Overpass Graffiti”, which is all fluorescent lights and crazy wisecracks. Tracks like this show an indisputable evolution, furthering the shaping of his own music formula. Yet the old times’ Ed still rears his head throughout the mainstream songwriting process, perhaps pursuing to address wider audiences. Hence, whatever you already thought about Sheeran’s style, Equals isn’t going to massively alter it, for better or worse.
It settles for gently nudging at the boundaries of what he’s good at, most notably on the opening of “Tides” as he formerly tried in Multiply, which thunders along, driven by synthesised guitars and double-time drums on loop.
Still there are old familiarities to be found. “2step” somehow reminds of “Don’t” or “New Man” and “The Joker and the Queen” is likely to replace “Thinking Out Loud” or “Perfect” as the first dance choice in numerous forthcoming weddings.
And just because no Ed Sheeran album can be complete without some of his well-known weepy ballads, make sure you have a bunch of tissues nearby for “Love In Slow Motion”: “This time now I’m dying/ For you to call my name / I’m waiting, still fading / So tell me I am not alone”.
In sum, Equals has Ed’s obvious signature in every chord, every lyric, and every cheesy song. Four years later you can still perceive the echoes of previous works, although that is not detrimental at all. Experimental and perhaps slightly more uplifting, his music continues walking the same path, so his biggest fans won’t be disappointed. The rest of the world… well, this man’s undeniable songwriting ability always makes something worth listening to.
Rating: 4/5
