Campbell MacKinnon

Divide is Ed Sheeran’s third studio album, 16 songs long, the albums total run time is just under an hour. The album features Sheeran’s signature style, simple background tracks with guitar and vocals prominently on display for the world to hear. The album was widely praised by audiences and critics alike. Divide is similar to Sheeran’s previous albums, “X” and “+”, (it follows the same pattern of mathematical naming too), but adds new features and sounds in effective ways. One of these new features that is my personal favourite is the addition of traditional Irish music as the background on the songs “Galway Girl,” and “Nancy Mulligan.”

My opinion on the album is that it’s a solid entry by Sheeran into the music scene. Ed has an uncanny ability to produce quality music consistently, his previous two albums were fantastic and I can think of no other man in music that is more deserving of commercial success than Ed Sheeran. Sound wise Divide is similar to “X,” but thematically the album is a little melancholy and reaches into Sheeran’s past. Songs about memorable nights, remembering lost family members, growing up, partying with friends and lost girlfriends are all themes that Sheeran explores throughout divide. One of my favourite parts of divide is that it features another song, “Eraser,” where Sheeran raps. Previously, Sheeran had rapped on “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” off his first album “+,” and again on “Take it Back,” off his second album “X”. A few other noteworthy songs off of divide are “Barcelona,” and “What Do I Know?”, both of which feature fantastic vocals and solid production to back it up.

To wrap up I’ll say that I personally think that Ed Sheeran is one of, if the most, talented and driven pop artists working in the music industry today. His eye for perfection and attitude of improvement really show through on this album and I think he should be commended for his work on divide.