Prince was in his mid-20s when he performed “When Doves Cry” and everyone could see, instantly, that his talent was into the stratosphere, the energy, the intensity, the showmanship, his overall greatness was a no-brainer. He was a born superstar.
Same with Ed Sheeran. He’s special, born to be a star.
It’s likely that most Boomers don’t know his name and also likely that most Millennials, music aficionados, and those in “the industry” do know his name, and for good reasons: British wunderkind Ed Sheeran is a brilliant singer and songwriter, with a remarkable and innate ability to create pop songs that are destined to stand the test of time. He’s important, with an impressive body of work, and he’s only 25 years old. Many of us Boomers have children older than that.
“Shape Of You,” his just released newest single, is already #9 on Adult Top 40 and it’s impeccable: smart lyrics, a catchy sound, lots of “musicality,” original, modern, sexy.
Last week, Sheeran made Australian music history when he landed a first in that country by debuting his new singles at both top spots, #1 and #2, on the charts.
His third album will be released March 3rd, and it’s one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2017. He’s so popular that his wax likeness is on display at Madame Tussaud’s.
Ed Sheeran is the kind of talent that Boomers might miss, partially due to lack of exposure. “Back in the day” we heard to all kinds of music just by listening to a handful of radio stations: AM Top 40 played Frank Sinatra and the Chipmunks; FM album went from Johnny Cash to Led Zeppelin. Today, formats are tighter, and there are more of them, and there are numerous platforms. Finding the good stuff is a challenge.
If you want to hear some of Sheeran’s earlier work, for which he’s received dozens of awards, these were massive hits: “Photograph” “The A Team” and “Thinking Out Loud”
“Shape of You” is below, and under that are the lyrics to “When Doves Cry.”