On Sept. 12, Ed Sheeran released his newest album, “Play.” It consists of 13 songs, some of which had been released beforehand as singles such as “Sapphire” and “Azizam.” This album marks the beginning of a new era for the singer, as it is the first of five albums based on different media control symbols such as “Rewind” and “Pause,” rather than mathematical symbols like “Divide” and “Multiply.”
The first song on the album, fittingly named “Opening,” is an interesting mix of styles, being slow and upbeat at the same time. The beginning of the song starts out slow, with a soft guitar under the words. The lyrics in this part of the song discuss the low points of Sheeran’s positive life journey, which is explored during the rest of the song. The style switches over to a rap song with a slower chorus. During my first listen, I didn’t like the two different styles being mashed together, but as I listened to it more, my appreciation for the uniqueness of the song began to show.
Moving on to one of the calmer parts of the album, I ended up liking the song “Old Phone.” This song has a more wistful feeling to it, and the emotions Sheeran conveyed in his singing brought that out. The song depicts Sheeran finding his old phone and looking through all the memories that it stored. His voice and the music itself helped to bring out the melancholy feeling of seeing a life that you can never go back to, even if the one you lead now is more fulfilling to you. This song reminded me more of other songs I’d heard from him, with the slower pace and, it feels more like a song I would think of when someone mentions Ed Sheeran. This song was definitely in my top three of the album, with the speed of it and how it kept my attention, having some parts that would simply be vocals without the underlying guitar that’s so recurring in this album.
On the other end of the spectrum, “Symmetry” has a higher energy level than some of the other songs in the album. The lyrics portray a more romantic setting, focusing on two people enjoying their time together rather than Sheeran’s own life. While the drums and the beat were entertaining, I found myself not enjoying this song as much. It felt very repetitive in its lyrics and the way he sang them. However, I do find the use of a different language for the chorus very interesting. It’s something Sheeran does multiple times throughout the album, such as in “Sapphire” during its chorus. I can definitely see the appeal and why many would love this song, it just didn’t feel like something I would choose to listen to often.
After listening to the entire album, I found that “Camera” quickly became my favorite song of the 13 songs Sheeran released. It’s a very romantic song about living in the moment and how memories can be so much more precious than a photograph. The song is very reminiscent of some of his previous songs, such as “Castle on the Hill.” It’s a nice blend of being both chill and motivating. It’s the perfect song to listen to during a late-night car ride.
Overall, the album is an interesting combination of songs that evoke different feelings. It sometimes feels experimental in a way that probably isn’t exactly going to hit people in a way that Sheeran may have wanted, and it certainly took me a couple of listens to get used to the sound of some of them. Despite this, it has left me extremely curious about what the singer is going to put out next and what the future albums in this series will hold. There were a good number of songs I did enjoy, and I recommend people listen through the album because I’m sure everyone will find at least one or two songs they’ll be adding to their playlist.
“Play:” ★★★★☆
