2-Song Review: Ed Sheeran's New Singles!

Fun fact about me: I'm pretty into Ed Sheeran music. Fun fact about Ed: he just released two new singles in preparation for the release of his brand-new album, Divide! The titles are "Castle on a Hill" and "Shape of You." I really really like them both... While "Castle on a Hill" is exhilarating and free, "Shape of You" is danceable and nightclub-y. I've gotten pretty attached to them both. (Making a spotify playlist just for each because I don't have premium...) "Shape of You" hit number one on the hot 100, and "Castle on a Hill" got number 6! I'm excited, and inspired.

I particularly like the instrumental of "Shape of You." I could listen to the beginning on repeat for hours and hours and hours... I'm not even entirely sure what instruments he used... It sounds mostly electronic. The song builds up at a steady pace and by the second chorus, it's got me dancin'! I also really like the breakdown when the lyrics go "C'mon be my baby come on...." It adds nice dynamics. The song is just so raw and it always seems to make me start awkwardly dancing around... In my room... In the car...

While I like the instrumental of "Shape of You," the vocals in "Castle on a hill" give me chills. The chorus lines are sung in a raspy, raw voice and the verse sometimes sounds like it has a country twang, which is different for Sheeran. My only real critique would be that at some point in the song, there should be less instrumental going on and more focus on the vocals. The line I like most is right after the break-down, building back up into the chorus, when he rasps, "I remember these old country lanes, when we did not know the answers." His voice comes out as a screaming whisper almost... If that makes any sense at all.

The songs are different than I expected. After I heard the social media samples, I expected super tech-y. He found a great mix between electronic and his usual acoustic, which is great, because he's trying something new and exciting while still staying true to his style and not completely diverting to mainstream pop.

Here's the link to the songs: https://itunes.Apple.Com/us/album/deluxe/id1193701079

Let me know what you think about the new singles in the comments below!