{"id":151546,"date":"2025-09-12T13:35:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T13:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/151546\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T13:35:10","slug":"ed-sheeran-play-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/151546\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Sheeran ‘Play’ Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tOn the bubblegum pink cover of his eighth studio album, Play, Ed Sheeran<\/a> clearly lays out his goals for the project in a written message<\/a>. \u201cPlay is leaving the past behind. Play is colorful. Play is dancing. Play is nostalgic,\u201d the mission statement reads. Can an album leave the past behind and be nostalgic at the same time? Ed sure hopes so. <\/p>\n

\n\tOn the opening track, aptly-titled \u201cOpening,\u201d the multi-platinum singer-songwriter draws a line in the sand and moves beyond the emotional struggles<\/a> that were present on 2023\u2019s \u2212 (Subtract)<\/a>. In the process, he turns towards South and West Asian rhythms to create a fusion of dance-ready, upbeat pop songs that represent the bright disposition implied by the album\u2019s title and cover. Yet, as promised, Play is also mainly steeped in fond memories of the past as Sheeran spends most of the record revisiting the singer-songwriter pop ballads that made him famous. It\u2019s a somewhat disorienting move for a project that is supposed to be looking ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe most interesting moments on Play are the cross-cultural, experimental songs that find Sheeran hitting a new pop wave. \u201cSapphire\u201d is built around a shiny, irresistible rhythm thanks to Iranian-Swedish producer Ilya and an assist from Indian mega star Arijit Singh. Similarly, the sultry, dancefloor number \u201cSymmetry\u201d has a thumping heart that can get anyone dancing, even if they don\u2019t know what the Hindi chorus is saying. Mostly, though, when it comes to globetrotting musical fusions Sheeran isn\u2019t exactly George Harrison<\/a> or Paul Simon<\/a>. Instead, songs like \u201cAzizam\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Look Down\u201d sound misplaced, especially as their bright sitar and flute tones push against the more melancholy, acoustic-driven tracks on Play.<\/p>\n

\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the most part, the album finds Sheeran returning to the singer-songwriter ballad form. Save for the rap verse on \u201cOpening\u201d which recalls early career innovations like 2011\u2019s \u201cYou Need Me, I Don\u2019t Need You\u201d<\/a> and pensive folk track \u201cOld Phone,\u201d Sheeran\u2019s time travel only takes him back a few years, to 2017\u2019s Divide<\/a> to be exact. \u201cCamera\u201d is a sappy, crescendoing ode in the vein of \u201cPerfect\u201d that will undoubtedly dominate future wedding playlists, while \u201cThe Vow\u201d is a soulful, jazz-inflected moment with Hallmark-card lyrics ( \u201cI thank the broken road that led me to you\u201d) that weirdly seems to channel a Rascal Flatts love song <\/a>\u00a0of all things. It\u2019s not all misses; Sheeran flexes his detail-focused songwriting on softer ballads like \u201cIn Other Words\u201d and \u201cSlowly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOverall, despite some of its nods to a more global sound, Play is a lot more of the same radio-tailored singer-songwriter music that has become Sheeran\u2019s signature in his 15-year career. \u201cBeen a long time on top, but I ain\u2019t complacent\/ If I look down, I can see replacements,\u201d he raps on \u201cOpening.\u201d That sentiment in mind, it\u2019s kind of ironic that in a pop music landscape<\/a> filled with post-Sheeran balladeers like Alex Warren<\/a> and Teddy Swims<\/a>, the man himself can\u2019t find a way to move his music forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n