X marks the spot in more ways than one...

The new Ed Sheeran album 'X' is an amazing listen. Whether writing about his past loves ("Sing", "Don't", "Nina") or pining for a current or future flame...you can feel the emotion pour from his lips and equally from his fingertips when it's him and his guitar. His past loves are featured in many songs and though you may not be able to tell which love Ed is singing about (Ellie Goulding, Nina Nesbitt, Taylor Swift - though we're pretty sure who his song "Nina" is about) you'll have a harder time figuring out whether to feel his pain and rejection or be jealous he's dated so many amazing & talented women!

Just who does this Ed Sheeran think he is? He's you...he's me...he's every jilted lover who swore that they had found "the one"...but unlike you and I (most likely) he has superb guitar skills & an incredible knack for beautiful poetry that melds perfectly together to tug on your heart.

On songs "Sing" and "Ruanaway" he channels his inner Justin Timberlake, quite different from the mainly guitar & voice elements of his previous album '+'. Though there is plenty of stripped down compositions like his previous album, including the yearning "I'm A Mess" & gorgeous love song "Tenerife Sea". One wonders if Ed can do it all...on "The Man" and "Take It Back" he even shows off some rap skills. On "Thinking Out Loud", a touching song about growing old but never growing apart he reaches back to early Van Morrison & Al Green. Ed sings "darling I will be loving you til we're 70" and you believe him...you believe this love will never end.

We're loving this album and have a hard time resisting the urge to hit the repeat button immediately at it's end. At the very least, do yourself a favor and check out songs "Don't", "Tenerife Sea", "Thinking Out Loud", and "Afire Love". And if you do pick up the album, get the deluxe version so that you get his contribution to "The Fault In Our Stars" soundtrack, "All Of The Stars"...a dreamy love song for long distance lovers.

Check out the video for "Thinking Out Loud"...and fall in love with this song. We dare you not to.

#video #newmusic #edsheeran