Ed Sheeran’s new album, “÷” (pronounced divide), showcases his charming musical ability to compose and perform many different styles of music. He runs the gamut from soulful ballads to hip-hop. Each song off his album is written for different kinds of music lovers.

During 2015, Sheeran fell off the grid and disappeared from social media. Sheeran took a break from his phone to see the world with his eyes, not his screen. He emerged on Dec. 13, 2016, with an Instagram post showing a snippet of what his new album cover would look like. At first it was just a blue background, but then 20 days later he had a divide symbol over the blue background.

“÷” was released on March 3. The album embraces the mathematical titles he used in previous albums. It is Sheeran’s third studio album after “X” (pronounced multiply), which was produced in 2014.

He continues to bring the soulful voice to his songs. He blends the acoustic guitar with his mesmerizing voice to formulate the alluring songs.

“÷” sold 232,000 copies both digitally and physically in the United Kingdom on its first day of its release. The tracks earned 56.73 million streams worldwide on Spotify. After three days, the album sold 432,000 copies.

Two singles, “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You,” were released on Jan. 6, to introduce the public to the album.

“Castle on the  Hill” is currently number six on the United States charts. “Castle on the Hill” has a U2, Irish rock vibe with Sheeran using his guitar to build up the suspense to the chorus. The single’s rhythms begin slow, but increase to get you hyped up on what he is singing.

The other single is “Shape of You,” which is number one on the U.S. charts. “Shape of You” displays Sheeran’s ability to make catchy songs. Its quality illustrates a tropical paradise with steel drums and a memorable acoustic hook. “Shape of You” beats Spotify’s record for one day (Adele’s Hello) with 7.9 million streams.

“How Would You Feel (Paean)” was released as a promotional single Feb. 17. It is a slow paced song that embodies his mushy romantic side and it features a guitar solo by John Mayer.  

“÷” is available on Spotify for streaming and available on iTunes for $10.99.

“÷”: 5/5