It’s undeniable that over the past few months, Ed Sheeran has dominated the global music space as he officially embarks on his latest musical era. ‘=’, his fourth studio album, has seen the star continue connecting with fans around the world thanks to his authentic songwriting, raw vocals and themes which are incredibly relatable. So, unsurprisingly, the new album is another stellar release from the pop star.
Embracing Ed’s own truths, ‘=’ seamlessly captures both the intimate and every day, elevating universal experiences to a higher plane. The fourth instalment in Sheeran’s symbol album series and a body of tracks that were made over a four-year period that followed his seminal ‘÷’ album era, the new album finds Ed taking stock of his life and the people in it as he explores the varying degrees of love, loss, resilience and fatherhood, while also processing his reality and career.
Sonically, ‘=’ encapsulates Ed’s versatile musical palette, spanning signature, guitar-led tracks and world-class balladry to weightier, euphoric production moments, as first showcased on this summer’s emphatic, 2 x platinum comeback track, ‘Bad Habits’.
The star also announces that ‘Overpass Graffiti’ will serve as the official third single off the project. The song is a heady, synth-rich ode to ’80s pop, and provides us with a wistful portrait of lost love as Ed soundtracks a past relationship. The official video – directed by Jason Koenig – explores the romanticism of living in the moment as we find Ed stranded in the desert in his dressing gown, before he embarks on an adventure with a newfound set of friends who he meets after hitching a ride.
Since his comeback in June, Sheeran has sat atop the charts worldwide, and in the UK, he spent a staggering 15 weeks at No.1 on the Official Singles Chart with his singles, ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Shivers’. Moreover, with the help of his recent single releases, Ed achieved another milestone in the UK after becoming the first British Solo Artist to claim 52 weeks – a full year – at No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, with only Elvis Presley and The Beatles achieving more overall weeks at the top.
Listen to ‘=’ below and read more music news here.
