Ed Sheeran plays for defence. In a recent cover story for Rolling Stone, one of the British singer-songwriter’s first remarks to the journalist was how his colleagues must have sneered when they learnt who he was about to interview. An odd comment, certainly, given how Sheeran does little press these days and is, indisputably, one of the biggest-selling musicians in history.
The 33-year-old has always had a paradoxical attitude towards critics. He didn’t need them to get where he is, and one more scathing review wouldn’t leave so much as a dent in his streaming numbers. But in recent years, this “I Don’t Care” attitude might have crept into his songwriting, too. The way he’s described his process has sounded more like a box-ticking exercise – a club tune here, a sexy slow-jam there – than an artform.
