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LP / Format
Atlantic, Asylum / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS
80
Divide is astonishing for its sheer ambition alone; this is a polished, well-executed effort from one of the hardest-working men in music.
80
His latest album is as likeable as he seems in interviews: assured but unassuming and sometimes hard to fathom. There’s probably a mathematical formula to Ed Sheeran’s success, but he’s the only one who can crunch the numbers.
80
Sheeran's musical history lesson is both well-timed and rip-roaringly fun, another example of his still-evolving craft.
80
Division is by far Sheeran’s smoothest collection.
70
It’s packed full of tunes that have an undeniable quality and mark the point where Ed Sheeran goes truly stratospheric. It’s less ‘÷’, more conquer.
70
Throughout the record, Sheeran seems assured in his smooth schtick, and that cheesy confidence, combined with the hints of new style, help make Divide his easiest album to enjoy.
67
If the familiarity of the album bodes well for its commercial success, key elements of Sheeran’s schtick don’t add up creatively.
64
‘÷’ is everything that you would expect from a new Ed Sheeran album, and is therefore ready-made for existing fans – whilst the singles current radio play may win over the more casual listeners.
60
In every way imaginable, ÷ is just your typical Ed Sheeran record. It would have been nice if he’d given us a reason to ditch the notion of a “typical” Sheeran album by advancing his sound in another direction, but his lack of mobility does not indicate a decline.
50
At best, we have a middling collection of songs that are going to sound great in a packed arena. At worst, it’s a pretty significant step back from X, and once the initial novelty of its release wears off, it’s unlikely to enjoy the popular acclaim or the longevity of its predecessor.
43
It relocates the Sheeran show to a bigger, brighter stage, doubling down on its predecessor’s quirky folk-pop without challenging the listener’s preconceived sensibilities.
40
This is a slick, potent album – one that reeks of nostalgia and comfort, campfires, scented candles, spilt pints of Guinness and, for those not enthralled by his algorithmic songcraft, the sharp stench of a salesman’s cheap cologne.
40
Ed Sheeran: The motivational poster of singer-songwriters.
30
That’s the biggest surprise here: for someone that is generally perceived as different to other popstars ... he has made the most anodyne and bland pop album possible.
28
The lack of honesty doesn’t really matter—nobody’s going to Sheeran for gritty soul-searching. But the lack of imagination does.
Every radio/mainstream music listener thinks Sheeran is the deepest, most authentic songwriter that exists on planet earth. When, in reality, he is no more emotional or elaborate than any bedroom pop artist on bandcamp tagged as "alternative".
LOL!! this shit is the biggest snoozefest of 2017, this ron weasley lookin motherfucker is the most faceless, boring singer alive I swear to god, this shit sounds EXACTLY like his last two albums as well. He could sing about his trip to the fucking gas station to buy apples and I bet lowest common denominator tumblr snobs would probably eat it up and praise him for how relatable he is and talk about how he 'sings about the little things' or some bullshit GTFOH this man sings about the lamest ... read more
British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran releases the same album for the third time, showing us once again that he isn't considered one of the less ambitious artists in the pop mainstream for nothing. Talk about lack of personality...
Ed Sheeran is an interesting artist for sure, he is probably the most ambitious person to make the most unambitious music possible. I think this album is decent but saying this is frontloaded would be an understatement, not to say the tracks in the 2nd half suck but the album really peaks on the first 2 songs.
Eraser has a pretty raw vocal performance in the verses and the slight rock vibe gives the song the edge it needs to be elevated to that next level. Castle on the Hill however is a full ... read more
Eraser has a pretty raw vocal performance in the verses and the slight rock vibe gives the song the edge it needs to be elevated to that next level. Castle on the Hill however is a full ... read more
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Track List
- Eraser
- Castle on the Hill
- Dive
- Shape of You
- Perfect
- Galway Girl
- Happier
- New Man
- Hearts Don't Break Around Here
- What Do I Know?
- How Would You Feel (Paean)
- Supermarket Flowers
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2y
Interesting tid bit about the review from The Independent. "And in that sense Divide is astonishing for its sheer ambition alone; this is a polished, well-executed effort from one of the hardest-working men in music." the ambition actually refers to Ed trying to make the most commercial album ever (or at least for a very long time). So the 'ambition' is not about the actual music on the album itself.
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Added on: January 12, 2017