If you have been living under a rock for the past couple months, Ed Sheeran came out with a new album: Divide. Sheeran released his new album on March 3 and the cheerios (what Sheeran call his fans) went wild. If you weren’t a fan before, then get ready to change your mind. There are 16 passionate, heart-quenching, exciting, upbeat, soul-touching songs.

   Sheeran released two songs off the album before the full album was released,  “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” but the album should not be defined by these two songs. The meaning that is being put behind these songs is incredible and it makes you think, “What influenced Sheeran to make him write such lovely songs?”

“Everytime I hear a something new off the album, I fall in love with it even more. I love Ed,” Nicole Lappe, freshman, said. 

While Sheeran was making this album, he was traveling around the world and experiencing different cultures in diverse countries. What is so neat about that is you can hear the influence of all the cultures in the songs. Sheeran also incorporates his Irish culture by having the fiddle play some notes in the songs “Galway Girl” and ‘”Nancy Mulligan,” while the song “Barcelona” has some Spanish influence to it. 

“Supermarket Flowers” was Sheeran’s way of saying goodbye to his grandmother that had passed away when he was writing the album. Writing the song helped him through the grieving process. 

“Nancy Mulligan” is a song about his grandparents’ love story. The song is about how Nancy’s (Sheeran’s grandmother) father turned down William’s (Sheeran’s grandfather) offer of marrying his daughter and how it ended up in a happily-ever-after story. 

Sheeran has six of his songs from “Divide” on Billboard’s Top 100 List and they keep moving up the chart. ‘Shape of You’ was Number 1 on Billboard’s Top 100 List for the first 10 weeks. 

“When the song comes on the radio, I turn up the bass and the volume as loud as they can go, singing [at] the top of my lungs until the song is over,” Jennifer Susnic, said. 

Throughout the new year, Sheeran has been jumping between the top three spots on Billboard’s Top 100 List for artists.

March 26 was the day that Sheeran’s “Divide” tour started. The tour started in Germany which kicked off the European leg of the tour. He then traveled to South America for the second leg of his tour. The tour will finally ending in North America, where the first city is Kansas City, Missouri on June 29, 2017. His tickets are now available for purchase. 

   Still haven’t listened to the album? The album is now out everywhere and on all platforms. In love with Sheeran, but never been to one of his concerts? Well now is your chance. Click on the link above to have the best experience in your entire life. 

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