Suffolk-born singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran does not embody the typical attributes of the manufactured, generic and “created for teen idolatry” pop star. Neither does his route to stardom follow the path of today’s “reigning” (translation: annoying and overexposed) popstars. He did not have the “rent a rapper” commercial crutch or the “American Idol” route to instant fame either. His growth of a fanbase was organic (through performances at open mic nights and Youtube)- slow and steady – first in his home base in the UK and then in the US. His story is the one we would like to see more of these days in pop music. It is so incredibly reminiscent of the relatively meritocratic era of pop music – which seems like a distant memory.
After the monster success of his debut album “+“, there is a lot of anticipation for his new album “X” (“multiply”). The album was recorded and produced in Los Angeles. Rick Rubin was at the helm of production. The album’s first outing “Sing” makes it seem like Sheeran might not be revisiting the laid-back acoustic sound that dominated his debut album. Instead, “Sing” is a pop-infused track and not something one would expect from the quintessential singer-songwriter sound. Produced by Pharrell Williams, it mixes both an acoustic sound along with modern beats. Fused together, it sounds like something Justin Timberlake may have experimented with as he was honing his sonic template as a solo star. The most noteworthy element borrowed from Timberlake is his trademark falsetto. “Oh-Oh-Ohs” in the chorus always stick. It is still not clear as to whether or not this direction truly works for Ed Sheeran. The track is pleasant enough but no one would instantly attribute it to Ed Sheeran. While it makes him more accessible, it does not necessarily make him as distinguishable.
Here is a full-length clip of Ed Sheeran’s new single “Sing”.
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Yes, the song is kind of bland and does nothing for me. When I hear the word Sing, I think of the song by My Chemical Romance which was quite a big hit a couple of years ago. I don’t know if that was too hard rock for your station but it’s one of my all time favorite songs of recent years. They even did a version on Glee!
The only artist I can think of who I really enjoy that came from American Idol is Kelly Clarkson. She kind of established her own rock based sound which was different from the ballads she did on the show. My favorite albums by her are All I Ever Wanted and the commercially unappreciated My December.
@Frannie: Thanks as always for your comments. I never really thought that My Chemical Romance fit our format but I should check this song out for what it is worth. The first American Idol winner (Kelly Clarkson) and the first British Pop Idol winner (Will Young) seem to be the only ones that had sustainable careers. For the rest, it has just been a case of “flavor of the moment” and retaining the hardcore fans that never disappeared.
Grrrr can Pharrell please leave British artists alone. First Paloma Faith now this! Think the days when British acts didn’t get a look in in the states was preferable as they still seem to have to be Americanised! Ok rant over…………..
@kerry: I agree. I wish Pharrell would leave British artists alone. It is not so much about being Americanized, as much as it is about being made to sound like every other R&B star out there.