On the bubblegum pink cover of his eighth studio album, Play, Ed Sheeran clearly lays out his goals for the project in a written message. “Play is leaving the past behind. Play is colorful. Play is dancing. Play is nostalgic,” the mission statement reads. Can an album leave the past behind and be nostalgic at the same time? Ed sure hopes so.
On the opening track, aptly-titled “Opening,” the multi-platinum singer-songwriter draws a line in the sand and moves beyond the emotional struggles that were present on 2023’s − (Subtract). In the process, he turns towards South and West Asian rhythms to create a fusion of dance-ready, upbeat pop songs that represent the bright disposition implied by the album’s title and cover. Yet, as promised, Play is also mainly steeped in fond memories of the past as Sheeran spends most of the record revisiting the singer-songwriter pop ballads that made him famous. It’s a somewhat disorienting move for a project that is supposed to be looking ahead.
The most interesting moments on Play are the cross-cultural, experimental songs that find Sheeran hitting a new pop wave. “Sapphire” is built around a shiny, irresistible rhythm thanks to Iranian-Swedish producer Ilya and an assist from Indian mega star Arijit Singh. Similarly, the sultry, dancefloor number “Symmetry” has a thumping heart that can get anyone dancing, even if they don’t know what the Hindi chorus is saying. Mostly, though, when it comes to globetrotting musical fusions Sheeran isn’t exactly George Harrison or Paul Simon. Instead, songs like “Azizam” and “Don’t Look Down” sound misplaced, especially as their bright sitar and flute tones push against the more melancholy, acoustic-driven tracks on Play.
For the most part, the album finds Sheeran returning to the singer-songwriter ballad form. Save for the rap verse on “Opening” which recalls early career innovations like 2011’s “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” and pensive folk track “Old Phone,” Sheeran’s time travel only takes him back a few years, to 2017’s Divide to be exact. “Camera” is a sappy, crescendoing ode in the vein of “Perfect” that will undoubtedly dominate future wedding playlists, while “The Vow” is a soulful, jazz-inflected moment with Hallmark-card lyrics ( “I thank the broken road that led me to you”) that weirdly seems to channel a Rascal Flatts love song of all things. It’s not all misses; Sheeran flexes his detail-focused songwriting on softer ballads like “In Other Words” and “Slowly.”
Overall, despite some of its nods to a more global sound, Play is a lot more of the same radio-tailored singer-songwriter music that has become Sheeran’s signature in his 15-year career. “Been a long time on top, but I ain’t complacent/ If I look down, I can see replacements,” he raps on “Opening.” That sentiment in mind, it’s kind of ironic that in a pop music landscape filled with post-Sheeran balladeers like Alex Warren and Teddy Swims, the man himself can’t find a way to move his music forward.
