Song of the Week: Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

Allie Gurrola, Writer

On Dec. 12, 2015, Ed Sheeran announced that he would be taking a break from social media and writing, to travel the world and spend some time with his family and to find himself again. Exactly one year after this announcement, Sheeran posts a single photo of a baby blue screen, leaving his fans confused and anxious. One month later, Dec. 12, 2016, Sheeran posted a silent 10 second video of him holding a single paper stating, “New Music Coming Friday!!”.

 

Fans were ready to start the new year with new music; some prepared by binge listening to his older albums. Starting Jan. 2, little teasers and trailers for the songs were being posted day after day. People started going crazy. I was ready for the new music; I have personally been a fan of Ed Sheeran since the 6th grade, when I first heard the song A-Team. Jan. 5, one day before the music was to be released, Snapchat came out with an Ed Sheeran filter, giving a sneak peak of the song, making the wait feel even longer. Jan. 6, at exactly 12:00 pm, the songs “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill”, were released.

 

The lyric that caught my attention the most was “Your love was handmade for somebody like me.” This stood out because this is the only lyric that actually sounds like something Sheeran usually writes. His songs are always about love and pain and describing emotions and I feel like this was the usual “Ed Sheeran Lyric”. Another reason this is my favorite line, is because I am a huge romantic, I truly feel that everyone on earth has someone that is handmade for them and I feel that is what this lyric is expressing.

 

Another piece from the song that I really enjoyed was the beat and use of other instruments. Ed Sheeran is the type of artist who has the usual acoustic sound and he really took a different direction in these songs. I am really impressed with artists who can change things up, just like Ed Sheeran did for this song.
Both these songs were nothing like Sheeran has written before. He left his acoustic guitar and brought on the beat. I think what makes Sheeran’s music so special is his wording. He doesn’t just say what he means, he describes it, he makes the audience feel what he means, I fall in love with every lyric he writes. The full divide album comes out Mar. 3, and will definitely be the highlight of my 2017. This wait could not be longer.