Sheeran substracts and does some additions in new album

Had the results gone another way, then – (Subtract) would have been Ed Sheeran’s last album. The British pop star recently figured in a much-talked about plagiarism case which he fortunately won. Before the jury verdict came out though, Sheeran was said to have stated in an interview that should he lose the case, then he will never write or sing another song again.

Ed Townsend accused Sheeran of having copied a four-chord progression from the 1973 song Let’s Get It On which he co-wrote with the late soul legend Marvin Gaye and then used it in the hit song Thinking Out Loud. Instead of quietly settling like he did in an earlier plagiarism case, Sheeran decided to battle it out in court.

It was an easy win for Sheeran. As any songwriter worth his salt will tell you, plagiarism is only easy to prove in the case of the notes of a melody. But a chord progression is not exclusive to a song and can be in use in arrangements for different melodies. So, a plagiarist, Sheeran is not. Not after his legal team proved his case by playing some songs that used the same chord progression as Let’s Get It On and Thinking Out Loud during the trial.

Although royalties earned from all his previous albums will be able to keep Sheeran and his family living in comfort all their lives, there was still for a moment that fear. – (Subtract) might have been the last recorded album ever made by Sheeran. And what an album it is.

Released only a week ago and already the fastest seller of the year, – (Subtract) brings Sheeran’s massive selling mathematical album series to its end. I say mathematical series because the titles of three of his previous albums were all mathematical procedures.

These are + (Plus) with The A Team and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You in 2011; X (Multiply) with Thinking Out Loud and Photograph in 2014; and ÷ (Divide) with Shape of You and Perfect, which was the biggest-selling album of 2021. And so the series comes to its end with – (Subtract).

The album is in a way the chronicle of a difficult year for Sheeran. The songs were written after the sudden death of his best friend DJ Jamal Edwards. Then he was hauled to court on the plagiarism charge. Worst of all was when his wife was diagnosed with a tumor but could not be treated because she was pregnant. Thank heavens, both mother and daughter, their second, are now OK. And Sheeran now offers up – (Subtract) for us to enjoy.

Sheeran literally did a lot of subtracting for this album. I think the most important one is that he stripped himself of his popstar persona to write these songs and kept only his masterful songwriting skills. The result is music that is mostly sad, emotional and very personal.

The first cut, Boat, sets the melancholy tone. “The more that I love, the less that I feel/ the times that I jumped never were real.” The first single, Eyes Closed, shows resignation. “Time is moving so slow and I don’t know what else that I can do/ so I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed.” But a bit of sunshine peeps through in Curtains. “I think I’m done with my hiding place/ and you found my anyway.”

There are no attempts to please listeners with a trendy twist here or there like hip-hop or a bit of Latin sway. Without thinking of what will sell, Sheeran just created one affecting song after another.

He stays pop and folksy throughout and in keeping with the somber mood, the album is almost entirely acoustic. No drums, then a few synths here and there to spice up the piano and strings. Of course, Sheeran plays the guitar.

He also did some addition. Sheeran added something that truly completes – (Subtract) as a masterpiece. Visuals. Every cut came with a video on release. Like the songs, these are short films of such melancholy beauty.