Having spent years playing open mic nights and house parties, Ed Sheeran now finds himself as one of the planet’s biggest pop stars.
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His third LP, ÷ (pronounced Divide), is a nailed-on certainty to follow its mathematically-titled predecessors, + and ×, to the number one spot.
During the album’s best moments — the rasping blues of Dive, the acerbic R’n’B of New Man, the Celtic balladry of How Would You Feel — Sheeran sounds tremendous: a multitasking, modern pop star who can sing, rap and strum.
However, the Flamenco-influenced Eraser ends up sounding like an appeal for Pop Stars in Need, while the iPhones-aloft ballad Perfect is drippier than water torture.
Ultimately, ÷ will sell a great deal, but it is not a truly great album.