Album Review: Ed Sheeran, Play

Towards the end of ‘Opening’, the first song on Ed Sheeran’s new album, he sing-raps: “When your career's in a risky place / Everything seems like a big mistake / I’m still lookin' for shit to say / Deludin' myself that they'll still relate.”

It’s probably dramatic for Sheeran to say his career is in a “risky place”, but you can see how the pop-rocker might feel worried he’s got nothing to say, after being heavily playlisted on virtually every streaming service and radio station. What do you do when you’re at the top and everyone thinks they’ve got your number?

On Play, he treads a well-worn Ed Sheeran path - making just a few tweaks along the way. Certainly, the artist finds safety in writing love songs (same as it ever was). He does so effectively on the rousing ‘Camera’ and the hypnotic ‘Heaven’, and less so on ‘Slowly’, ‘The Vow’, and ‘In Other Words’, all of which feel like Ed Sheeran recycled.

Elsewhere, ‘Old Phone’ is a beautiful, reflective tune with a relatable theme (scrolling through an old phone and feeling nostalgic), while ‘A Little More’ might’ve made a good hit for Amy Winehouse, but sounds only okay-ish from Sheeran.

He’s at his best when embracing new influences, such as the Persian music-inspired ‘Azizam’; ‘90s tropical house on ‘Don’t Look Down’; and Punjabi-pop on crossover ‘Sapphire’. The latter is the best song - one of those glittering hits Sheeran always seems to pull out of the bag.

There are hints in these songs that he’s keen to experiment further, but he clearly feels the allure of writing anthemic pop tunes.

If it ain’t broke…

7/10