[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”48″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]C[/mks_dropcap]urrently being the most streamed artist on Spotify after the release of his EP Divide, Ed Sheeran is a figure to be reckoned with at age 26. All his concerts are completely sold out – to my great dismay, so any spare tickets are very much appreciated – and he is invited by many talk show hosts, from Ellen DeGeneres to the Dutch RTL Late Night’s host Humberto Tan. But where has all this – seemingly sudden – success come from?

Manmade Music
Surely, the start of anyone’s music career must be in their musical talent and their affection for music. For the red haired singer, this statement truly applies. Ed’s musical journey starts in 2005, when he independently recorded his first album: The Orange Room. Looking at an overview of his musical journey, it shows how engrossed the singer has been in music since an early age.

Although he had been producing music for a while, Ed did not break through until 2011. That year, his song A Team entered number 3 in the UK iTunes charts. This breakthrough happened thanks to the recognition of several artists and a radio host, who all supported his musical journey.

Ed does not necessarily fall into the spectrum of breathtakingly attractive guys

From a technical perspective, his music isn’t too complicated. All the equipment he uses can be controlled solely by himself. He doesn’t use fancy gear or filters to alter his music digitally, but gets by with just a guitar, a loop pedal and his voice. Even during live shows, he uses just those three tools. Perhaps this authenticity and purity in his musical performance makes him attract the attention of such a large audience.

Real Relatability
While you might not relate to Ed Sheeran’s musical journey, it is very well possible that you do relate to his musical content. His songs cover different subjects, both positive and negative. Most commonly, he sings about love and relationships. From falling for someone, being madly in love to being harshly rejected.

Even if you can’t relate to this, there are Ed Sheeran songs you could relate to. His songs also cover subjects such as death, finding solace in alcohol and being emotional. On top of that, the style of his songs is very different within each album. For example on his latest album, emotional ballads go alongside upbeat tempo songs.

Lovely Looks
Anyone that’s ever watched X-factor knows you can’t be a popstar without having ‘the looks’. What exactly these are is never specified, but it must be the key to being big in showbiz. Ed, however, does not necessarily fall into the spectrum of breathtakingly attractive guys. No offense, but as he sings himself, he is ‘a singer that you never want to see shirtless’. Be that as it may, he does have a certain cute factor. Perhaps it’s the British background; if a British accent won’t make a girl swoon, what will?

Haven’t been keeping up with Ed Sheeran too much and wondering how to get into his music? Just start by listening to his newest album. My personal favourites are: Bibia Be Ye Ye, Galway Girl and Barcelona.

Cover: Drew de F Fawkes