Ed Sheeran is set to bring his mathematical album series to its end soon. What I mean when I say mathematical series is that the titles of his previous albums were all mathematical procedures. These are (Plus) + in 2011; (Multiply) X in 2014; and (Divide) ÷ on 2021. So, it is only logical for him to title his upcoming release (Subtract) – for 2023.
And that is just how it will be. Sheeran, who by the way made $50 million on concert tours for the month of February alone, is scheduled to drop his latest on May 5. But before that, he wants to introduce (Subtract) – via a new single, Eyes Closed.
As usual, Sheeran composed both music and lyrics for the emotional Eyes Closed. Looks like the past few years during which he was mostly cooped up home thanks to COVID-19 did Sheeran’s songwriter chops a lot of good. His Eyes Closed is such a beauty and he sings it with so much feeling.
Check out these lines: “I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed/ cause everywhere I look I still see you/ time is moving so slow and I don’t know what else that I can do/ so I’ll keep dancing….” Ouchy! Ouchy!
Eyes Closed and the other songs in the upcoming album, in a way, chronicle 2022, a difficult year in Sheeran’s life. It was written after the sudden death of his best friend DJ Jamal Edwards. At the same time, he was hauled to court on plagiarism charges for both Thinking Out Loud and Shape of You. He won both. Worst of all was when his wife was diagnosed with a tumor but could not be treated because she was pregnant. Both mother and daughter, their second, are now OK. And Sheeran now offers up (Subtract) – for us to enjoy.
Taylor Swift is full of surprises. Just when you think she is on the verge of becoming repetitive and (horrors!) boring, she comes up with something new and extraordinarily impressive. In this case, it is the single To All of the Girls You Loved Before.
Well, it is not really new. The song is an outtake from her album, Lover, which came out four years ago. That one had Daylight, The Man, You Need to Calm Down and others. An outtake is a song that was recorded, but which did not make it to the final line-up of songs. This tune had been sitting on the shelf all this time until it was leaked into social media. Her fans loved it and Swift decided to release it officially two weeks ago.
I am honestly surprised To All of the Girls You Loved Before did not made the cut. It has a positive message. She is telling her lover, thanks to all your exes for making you the man you have become. Her writing is on point, “A heart is drawn around your name in someone’s handwriting/ not mine…,” she sings. Best of all, the melody allows her voice to scale high notes we seldom hear from her. Great job, Swiftie.
There is also something new from Charlie Puth. Remember him of the gorgeous tones in the dramatic See You Again with Wiz Kalifa, the sweet One Call Away and the infectious Left and Right with Jungkook of BTS. Now, it looks like Puth has another biggie with his latest release, That’s Not How It Works.
Puth introduced the song via a six-minute film of the same title. He and the lovely singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter, she is the voice behind the big hit Nonsense, play a couple on the verge of a painful break-up. They are trying to make the other listen to the fact that that’s not how it works in relationships.
A three-minute version of the That’s Not How It Works film is now the video for the song and it is most effective. Puth can act and now buffed up, he looks sexy. Combine that with his lovely falsetto that is in full display in the song and you have a big winner.