As Ed Sheeran ends the leg of his US tour dates and is setting sail to begin the Europe shows this November, we were gifted with something new from the singer to welcome the next season.
Despite releasing his new album "-" [Subtract], the last piece to his mathematics collection that has spanned nearly 12 years, the English singer/songwriter released a brand new & raw album titled "Autumn Variations".
Ed Sheeran | People Magazine | Annie Leibovitz
From sold out tour dates with company from Khalid, Eminem, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters, and more, the singer isn't finished just yet as he's blessing our ears and playlists with more alluring tracks. Each of his albums have gained major traction with the help of promo, teasers, billboards, however, his new album is scrapped this approach and took a different route.
Dropping on September 29th and welcoming the new season, this culmination of tracks marks a newness to Sheeran's artistry through setting itself apart from his previous work. Besides it being the first of his discography to not be titled after a mathematical symbol, but the collection of songs are simple, heart-warming, and lo-fi. Ed didn't rely on the intricate production, overwhelming marketing, or accompanying visuals, which gave the songs have a nostalgic and effortless quality to them.
The entire album is self-written, recorded, and released from his own label, "Gingerbread Man" with its production being done by that of the talented Aaron & Bryce Dressner. Listeners can clearly hear the ease in which the songs were curated, providing it with a daily background music quality feel, unlike his previous releases.
The cover art itself is in black & white with a collection of fall-inspired visuals. From physical pictures to thoughts, both bad & good. The included merch itself keeps consistent with this theme as well as Ed's mentality, which is allowing fans to curate what the season means to them and providing the blank canvas.
Despite critics citing the new release as 'unimaginative' and 'flat', Sheeran's purpose for "Autumn Variations" was to provide an ease with music rather than a consistent pressure to create "the next big hit". His previous work can speak for itself and the new album marks as the bridge from who he was as an artist to who he's becoming.
The intimacy and pain within his 2023 album "-", where he discusses grief, pain, heart-break, coping, and more, the plainness of this album was almost needed to remind both us and him that music doesn't need to speak on heavy stories, it's also meant to bring a sense of peace.
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