Ed Sheeran keeps fans on their toes for a new album release through his reputation of success on past albums. graphic courtesy of the Vinyl Collective
After a year-long hiatus, singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran is back with two new singles crushing the charts.
Two-time Grammy winning and platinum selling artist Ed Sheeran has returned to the top of the iTunes charts with two new singles and an album soon to come. Fans are ecstatic for Sheeran’s comeback after his hiatus from social media for over a year.
Singles “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You” were released on January 6th, 2017, and Sheeran’s new album, Divide (÷) is set to be released on March 3rd. Within days of the singles’ release they topped iTunes, holding the first and second spots. Without having released new music since his live album from Wembley Stadium on his Multiply tour in 2015, fans are on their feet for more. Sheeran spent 2016 away from his phone and solely behind the scenes in the music industry, writing songs for Justin Bieber and Major Lazer including “Love Yourself” and “Cold Water.” His success from his first album, Plus (+), and his second album, Multiply (X), has excited fans for what is to come with his new album in 2017.
Ed Sheeran’s debut studio album, Plus, was released in 2011, and included hit singles “The A Team” and “Lego House,” which topped the charts and took over the radio. Multiply, Sheeran’s second studio album, was released a few years later in 2014. The album included singles “Sing,” “Don’t,” “Photograph,” and “Thinking Out Loud,” which also topped charts across the globe. Hopes are high that “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You” will have the same success as his previous singles had, and Divide will hit platinum like his first two albums.
Suspicion of new music coming soon was high amongst fans after a blank blue image was posted on Sheeran’s various social media platforms on December 12th, 2016, without any reasoning. Then, Divide was announced right after the new year, days after the new singles were released. On January 1st, Sheeran posted a video of himself holding a sign announcing, “New music coming Friday!!” leaving fans eager for the remainder of the week. Once the 6th of January came, “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You” were released and instantly blew up.
The tracklist for the new album was released only five days following the singles; the cover for Divide along with an official release date were officially revealed a day later. Music videos for both newly released singles came only two weeks later. The “Castle on the Hill” music video featured Sheeran’s home town in Suffolk, England to tell the story of the memories he had growing up, illustrated by his old friends going on adventures around the town. The “Shape of You” music video was released a week later and includes the story of Sheeran training for a boxing match along with a woman and the dates and memories they have. Ed Sheeran’s humor shows through in the video when he dresses in a Sumo suit and gets taken down by another wrestler.
In a statement regarding his break from the media, Sheeran mentioned, “I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes, so I’m taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed.” As his social media hiatus is now over, Sheeran has returned with his tweets and humorous Instagram photos.
Sheeran’s highly anticipated return already brought him instant success, and his third studio album is still yet to be released. Based on great success from previous albums, Divide is bound to be a hit.
