Monday, September 19, 2016

Music Review: Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran - Music as an Art


      I can't tell you how many times I turn on the radio and think to myself, "Really? This is what's popular now? This is what our generation listens to? Repetitive lyrics, 4-chord-song treachery and catchy tunes with no lyrical meaning or soul? Ed Sheeran, an artist out of the United Kingdom, gained in popularity as a singer-songwriter in 2008, when he released the album "+", where the single "The A-Team" grew in popularity and gained radio air time.

(And if you've never heard of a 4-chord song, here's a link to a great example by: Axis of Awesome - 4 Chord Song.)

(some explicit language)

Beginings:
     Ed Sheeran started recording in 2004 at the age of 13 years old and eventually brought an old "indie" feel back to the radio scene, which is another way of saying singer-songwriter (think: Taylor Swift, before she was drowned in pop-artists beats). When I think of singer-songwriter, I think of an artist and their instrument, a guy and his guitar, a woman and her piano; simple music with a focus on lyrics that are personal to the artist. Ed Sheeran's hit, "Photograph", is a great example of a "man and his guitar" singing about memories of love kept within a photograph. His voice is filled with conviction and passion throughout his collective works and he's a testament to artists everywhere.

Here's a link to Asylum Record's and Ed Sheeran's - Photograph.


     Reminiscent of the days of Eric Clapton and Dave Matthews, Ed Sheeran is a reminder to us all that true art never dies. In a year since his music video "Photographs" was posted, the song has over 250 million views and continues to rise as he gains in popularity. Taking acoustic influences from The Beatles and Nizlopi, Ed found a unique sound for himself that took the world by storm.

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