Just how good is Ed Sheeran?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Cool Chemist, Jan 14, 2022.

  1. MHP

    MHP Lover of Rock ‘n Roll

    Location:
    DK
    A dirty old man. Disgusting.
     
    JosepZ likes this.
  2. Donfrance

    Donfrance As honest as a politician.

    Slightly smelly, perhaps?
     
  3. Donfrance

    Donfrance As honest as a politician.

    I think Mr. Sheeran is alright. Good for him that he outsells everybody.
     
    Jarleboy, ARK, carlwm and 2 others like this.
  4. Evethingandnothing

    Evethingandnothing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon
    I'm still waiting for the "Cloud yells at man" meme.
     
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  5. VinylCountdown

    VinylCountdown Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I thought Ed had promise early on and whilst he has absolutely blown up, he has done it at the expense of his art IMO, but why shouldnt he make millions off of pop music rather than be a poor folk singer... musically i wish he took the latter path - as songs like A team suggested he had it in him.

    I dont think anyone can argue he isnt a great talent.

    I feel like he could just put out a proper album at this point and win over everyone , and keep his pop status - but he is probably scared of rocking the boat so he puts out more chart fodder until he runs out of math symbols, good luck to him either way.
     
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  6. Sentient Six

    Sentient Six Forum Resident

    Location:
    Annandale, NJ USA
    I bought my wife his latest album for Christmas and had to endure it while taking down decorations. His music and voice, to me, are bland. He comes off as a James Blunt wannabe.
     
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  7. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I think he's a remarkable talent. Anyone who hand old the attention of a stadium audience with just an acoustic guitar and a looper pedal has a special talent.

    I quite liked his early material. But since he's decided to conquer the entire pop music world, I've found his music has become kind of manipulative. When I'm listening I can hear the business plan behind it -- this one sounds like it was tailor-made for CHR radio, this one for AC, this one for triple-A. This one has a lite version of the popular dancehall beat. That's one has the strummy guitars that will fit in at Starbucks. His writing as turned generic (like in "Perfect," writing "listening to our favorite song," instead of naming the song, it's a way to ensure that everyone can project their own favorite in there and you don't exclude anyone from naming a specific song, but the lyric becomes blandly generic and unspecific and the song become kind of characterless).

    One day one of his more recent tunes came on the radio and I asked my wife, just really rhetorically, "What happened to Ed Sheeran?" She responded, "He got bad." But obviously he was right about the business plan and it has worked for him and a vast number of people don't feel that way.
     
  8. San Antone

    San Antone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tennessee
    Not a fan, although I applaud his use of acoustic guitar and minimal production. I just don't like his voice and songs.
     
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  9. Zerox

    Zerox Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I seem to recall he described himself as "a ginger bloke who got lucky" or something similar, a (hopefully sincere) piece of humility which I try to remember when I am forced to endure his appalling music and near-ubiquitous cameos in films and television shows.
     
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  10. mbd40

    mbd40 Steely Dan Fan

    Location:
    Hope, Ar
    How about "he's good at what he does, but I'm not into his style of music at all".
     
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  11. Whizz Kid

    Whizz Kid Forum Resident

    I agree with all of this… he is apparently a very likeable fellow… with his head screwed on unusually straight for a pop star.
    I still needed to vote “mediocre” because that is how I rate his music… I was not low-balling due to lack of exposure.

    Like the similar Adele poll, there is no middle-ground here to choose that doesn’t still praise the recorded output… perhaps if the third option in the poll had said “performer” instead of “artist”, I would have voted for that one.
     
    Cool Chemist likes this.
  12. jimod99

    jimod99 Daddy or chips?

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON
    Like the Adele thread the OP has deliberately worded the choices in the poll to get exactly the sort of reaction and posts that are now occurring.

    Its obvious what hes up to.
     
  13. dmiller458

    dmiller458 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midland, Michigan
    And a similarly poorly-written poll.

    1) "One of the greatest artists of all time who has deservedly smashed many sales records" equates his commercial success with artistic success.

    2) "A highly accomplished artist. One of the greatest male solo artists of his generation"? What accomplishments is the OP referring to? His Grammys? His Brit awards?

    3) "A good artist but short of greats like Elton John." Elton is the biggest British solo act of all-time. The normal rules don't apply to him. Any comparison is unfair to begin with.

    4) "A mediocre artist who has enjoyed success due to a lack of competition"? Each era yields its own crop of stars and superstars. The 00s and the 10s have produced a chitload of superstars. So how is there a lack of competition?

    5) I'm not even going to bother...
     
  14. EyeSock

    EyeSock Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Ed Sheeran… To go against the grain of the thread a bit, I don’t really think he’s among this generation’s best artists. The biggest commercially, sure, but there are so many other artists I enjoy more. Even out of huge commercially successful artists with over 30 million monthly listeners, artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kanye West, The Weeknd, even Coldplay (their first two albums, Viva La Vida, Everyday Life) appeal to me more. So much of his music just sounds so hollow and bad, even his earlier material.

    That said, I don’t think he’s as horrible as many music enthusiasts (young and old) say he is. He has some good songs like Overpass Graffiti, Visiting Hours, Castle on the Hill, Thinking Out Loud, Sing, his cover of Make it Rain especially. It’s clear that, behind his bland and sterile pop music, there is a legitimate talent behind there. I do admire that he is a guitarist and writes his own stuff, but at the end of the day, I’d rather listen to a great album it took 60+ people to write (The Life of Pablo, Lemonade), than a bad one it took only one to write (Divide, Equals).
     
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  15. oxegen

    oxegen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Not my cup of tea but he is hugely popular here in Ireland, especially with the younger generation.
     
  16. MikeManaic61

    MikeManaic61 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    It's completely obvious. Especially they know what kind of forum this is. It's practically bait.
     
  17. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    These threads are funny because the usual people are posting the usual things. It's practically impossible to have an intelligent discussion in a topic that's written and designed as dumpster.

    Over in the Adele thread you've got members admitting that they don't know her yet continue posting. Is there a name for that? :whistle:
     
  18. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Maybe a sad old git.. like yourself.
    Least I’ve got a sense humour. :nyah:
     
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  19. JohnJ

    JohnJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Agree. Not my cup of tea - but I don’t think anyone else has ever done that at Glastonbury and he sold out 4 consecutive nights at Wembley stadium. I don’t think that’s been done before either.

    he’s a massive artist.

    because he’s not in his 70s. Let’s be honest the demographic of this forum is never going to look positively on a younger artist.
     
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  20. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
    Oh my God!
     
    TheRunoutMatrix likes this.
  21. He’s either “good” or “mediocre” — haven’t heard enough to really say for sure. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and voted “good”.
     
    Jarleboy likes this.
  22. Armjim

    Armjim Music is indeed a gift from Heaven

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    I have no particular disdain for Sheeran. If God told me he could replace my voice with that of a well known artist, Sheeran's would not be my first choice. He has sold quite a lot of records and got a lot of airplay-I don't hold that against him. He is doing what he must love and was lucky enough to become a commercial powerhouse. No sour grapes here. Back in my day (says the old man in me) Three Dog Night for example were crucified by the critics but sold millions of singles and albums, and I loved them. I voted for good artist. I think he is good at what he does even if his work is just not meaningful to me.
     
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  23. No, it’s Oh My Ed!
     
  24. TheRunoutMatrix

    TheRunoutMatrix I'm sticking with you, cause I'm made out of glue.

    So untrue, and quite a generalization. I'm in my 50s and enjoy listening to plenty of young artists. I have Alice Phoebe Lou on right now; she's fantastic, and she's 28. I don't care much for Ed Sheeran's music but I think he's talented. I don't hate his music at all or look on it negatively. I just find it boring. I think many here feel the same way I do, if you read through the comments.
     
    Jarleboy, Miles1968 and Amnion like this.
  25. JohnJ

    JohnJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    of course it’s a generalisation - but lets be honest it’s a pseudo Beatles forum! His audience (which is massive), won’t be on this forum.

    I am in my 40s (and only just…) - he doesn’t do anything for me, but he’s not only one of the biggest solo acts out there, he’s one of the biggest acts full stop.

    seems a very affable and decent chap when I’ve seen him interviewed.
     
    Jarleboy, MHP and ARK like this.

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