Launching a new thematic era after closing his five-part Mathematics series, English singer/songwriter
Ed Sheeran
presses the titular button on his vibrant eighth set,
Play
. A blend of his heartfelt busker material and his big pop anthems, the set adds more of the same to his hit-packed catalog, which is just fine for his fans. Kicking things off with the aptly titled "Opening," the noted rap fan spits verse after verse of impressive, head-spinning bars, admitting, "I'm still looking for shit to say/Deluding myself that they'll still relate." Whether he's saying anything relevant is beside the point, as this baker's dozen is as relatable as anything he's ever done (especially the bittersweet tearjerker "Old Phone," the lovelorn beauty "Camera," and his latest first-dance-at-your-wedding-moment "The Vow"). Those near-acoustic gems are scattered throughout, with catchy, radio-ready pop bursts maintaining
's energy. Traversing the globe, he collaborates with Indian artist
Arijit Singh
on the uplifting "Sapphire," tries his hand at Persian-influenced pop on the euphoric "Azizam," and comes close to crafting a
Major Lazer
banger on "Symmetry." As genres blur, the nostalgic "A Little More" sounds like it could have been a
Mark Ronson
track, while the blissful "Don't Look Down" borrows from Y2K trance. Much like contemporaries
Coldplay
,
Sheeran
knows how to please his fans and
doesn't veer far from his usual formula, shaking things up just enough with the invigorating addition of a couple internationally spiced highlights. ~ Neil Z. Yeung