Nearly two years after "=" came out, Ed Sheeran decided to return to his
roots. The very same ones that granted him an exceptional breakthrough in
the last decade, turning him into a contemporary and cultural icon in the
music industry.
The British troubadour remarkably specializes in the garnering number-one
hits out of emotional ballads: ones that are toes deep in wistful and
romantic narratives. One has to only take a peek at his celebrated
discography for it is so abundant. Last Friday, he broke through the static to
reveal "Eyes Closed," a heartfelt affair that is amplified by his personal ups
and downs in recent times.
Describing the instrumentation would hardly take much effort: a playful
and brisk pizzicato riff moves gracefully to a delicate ensemble of drums,
piano, and a guitar. Most of the heavy lifting is done here by the
"Photograph" singer, as he lays bare a range of emotions through his
endearing vocals. Penning lyrics such as the mournful "It's been a while, my
dear/Dealin' with the cards life dealt", or the optimistic output in choruses
that balances out the grief in these verses. It almost symbolically represents
the metaphorical "light at the end of the tunnel": that there's still a glimmer
of hope left, and to enjoy the remnants of good memories made with those
who passed away.
It's no surprise that "Eyes Closed" seized the number one spot without any
delay, a testament that people love Ed Sheeran dole out his true feelings in
such simpler, no-frills songwriting. Aiding the song's construction is a
superb team including Max Martin, the Swedish Producer responsible
behind chart-topping "Blinding Lights" from the Weeknd, to electronic
music's latest sensation Fred Again..., another talented figure who has been
blowing up in the scene.
This is the first track we have heard from his upcoming album "-" (Subtract),
which is already gathering much hype since the opening single has now
earned Ed Sheeran his 14th number One position on the UK Charts. In turn,
it has made him the third most successful artist nationally with plenty of
chances of this turning into the definitive summer hit of 2023, arriving even
before the warmer days have begun.
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