=

by Ed Sheeran

Overview

"I have grown up, I am a father now." These are the first words Ed Sheeran sings on =, his fourth official solo album, the one that arrives four years after ÷. Between these two records, he got married to his old sweetheart and had a baby -- he also released the stopgap No. 6 Collaborations Project, a star-studded affair that kept him on the charts -- major life events that provide the fuel for the 14 songs on =. Supported by a bed of supple R&B rhythms, retro keyboards, and a vague hint of his signature acoustic guitar, Sheeran tackles new fatherhood and love everlasting, taking time to offer such complementary accents as "Visiting Hours," a nod to a departed friend. Despite his feint at late-night debauchery on "Bad Habits," the album teems with mature aspirations: he's grappling with growth, sensing the passage of time, and wishing he could relive first times once again. These themes are simultaneously profound and banal, an emotional territory that suits Sheeran's knack for crafting candied corn. Sheeran never chooses a winding path; whether it's his melody or lyrics, he always opts for the straightest course. By favoring simplicity, he veers toward cliches and homilies -- this is particularly true when he's writing for and about his newborn child, such as the singsong lullaby "Sandman" -- yet he knows how to turn his highly personal observations into adult contemporary pop: music where the vibe matters as much as the hooks. Here, Sheeran's melodies are soft yet insistent, and the production glistens with flair borrowed from younger, hipper artists who mine a similar blend of retro new wave and modern R&B, but he knows how to turn this stylish sound into something cozy and reassuring. That comforting gloss is the surest sign that Ed Sheeran has indeed grown up: he's not chasing trends, he's making music for people who have aged out of the clubs but have yet to wallow in nostalgia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/29/2021
Label:	Asylum / Atlantic
UPC:	0190296549625
Rank:	4972

Tracks

1. Tides
2. Shivers
3. First Times
4. Bad Habits
5. Overpass Graffiti
6. The Joker and the Queen
7. Leave Your Life
8. Collide
9. 2step
10. Stop the Rain
11. Love in Slow Motion
12. Visiting Hours
13. Sandman
14. Be Right Now

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ed Sheeran   Primary Artist,Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Ukulele,Keyboards,Percussion,Soprano (Vocal),Pizzicato Violin,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Fireboy DML   Primary Artist,Vocals
Elton John   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Johnny McDaid   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Piano,Guitar,Marimba,Keyboards,Percussion,Glockenspiel,Guitar (Acoustic),Bass,Drums
James Donaldson   Choir/Chorus
Jimmy Carr   Vocals (Background)
Matthew Nicholls   Drums
Graham Archer   Vocals (Background)
Daniel Romano   Choir/Chorus
Katherine Gowers   Violin
Subrina McCalla   Vocals (Background)
Vicky Matthews   Cello
Kevin Myers   Vocals (Background)
Peter Lale   Viola
Helen Kamminga   Viola
Everton Nelson   Violin
Patrick Kiernan   Violin
Warren Zielinski   Violin
Taylor Swift   Vocals,Featured Artist
Jake Walker   Viola
Chris Laws   Drums
Bring Me the Horizon   Vocals,Featured Artist
Mark Berrow   Violin
Richard Adlam   Percussion
Benjy   Drums
Andrew Parker   Viola
Bruce White   Viola
Deborah Widdup   Violin
Richard George   Violin
Chris Worsey   Cello
Chris Laurence   Double Bass
Steve Mac   Bass,Keyboards
Cathy Thompson   Violin
Owen Pallett   Viola,Violin
Victoria Harrild   Cello
Michael Jones   Violin
Kirsty Mangan   Violin
Ashok Klouda   Cello
Warren Zielinksi   Violin
Will Reynolds   Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Kylie Minogue   Vocals (Background)
Ian Humphries   Violin
Louise Claire Marshall   Vocals
Aaron ward   Choir/Chorus
Foy Vance   Drums,Piano,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Ian Burdge   Cello
Benjy Gibson   Drums
Lucas Holmes   Choir/Chorus
Jack Cookson   Choir/Chorus
Tim Lowe   Cello
Jan Regulski   Violin
Layla Ley   Vocals (Background)
Kat Marsh   Choir/Chorus
Laurie Anderson   Viola
Ann Bielby   Viola
Elvira Anderfjaerd   Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Louis Bell   Drums,Keyboards
Zalika Henry   Vocals (Background)
Perry Montague-Mason   Violin
Beatrix Lovejoy   Violin
Matthew Denton   Violin
Thomas Gould   Violin
Sam Roman   Piano,Guitar
Leon Bosch   Double Bass
Rebecca Lowe   Viola
Hal Ritson   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards
Tim Cresswell   Choir/Chorus
Daniel Prevost   Choir/Chorus
Marije Johnston   Violin
Joe Rubel   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic)
Caroline Dale   Cello
Natalia Bonner   Violin
Karl Brazil   Drums
Jimmy Barnes   Vocals (Background)
Jordan Fish   Vocals (Background)
Ciaran McCabe   Violin
Aine McDaid   Vocals (Background),Flute
Pauline McDaid   Vocals (Background)
Maev McDaid   Harp,Vocals (Background)
Jack Parisi   Strings
Josh McDaid   Vocals (Background)
Dann Pursey   Percussion
Cat McTigue   Choir/Chorus
Fionn McGuinness   Choir/Chorus
Elliot Goodhill   Choir/Chorus
Naomi Rush   Choir/Chorus
Tina Maynard   Choir/Chorus
Tom Chippendale   Choir/Chorus
Seren Lewis   Choir/Chorus
Jo Hadler   Choir/Chorus
Ben Errington   Choir/Chorus
Adjua Forrest   Choir/Chorus
Georgia Szygowska   Choir/Chorus
Kiera-Marie Somers   Choir/Chorus
Felix Fernandez-Penny   Choir/Chorus
Aaron Douglas   Choir/Chorus
Matthew Kean   Bass
Sam Wickramasinghe   Violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin   Viola
Andrew Watt   Guitar,Keyboards
Steve Morris   Violin
Fred Gibson   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Meghan Cassidy   Viola
John Parricelli   Guitar
Richard Pryce   Double Bass
Emlyn Singleton   Violin
Iain Archer   Slide Guitar
Daniel Pursey   Percussion
Lee Malia   Guitar
Anna Blackmur   Violin
Michael Peter Olsen   Cello
Fiona Winnine   Viola
Giampaolo Parisi   Drums,Vocoder,Sound Effects
Tia Kalmaru   Choir/Chorus
El Bumpito   Percussion
Lyra Antarctica   Percussion
Jack Hamilton   Choir/Chorus
Lauren-Grace McDonald   Choir/Chorus
Dean Forrest   Choir/Chorus
Lil Baby   Vocals,Featured Artist
Marco Parisi   Horn,Piano,Strings,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Michael Harrison   Vocals (Background)
Antonia Kesel   Violin
Martyn Jackson   Violin
Gary Pomeroy   Viola
Nic Minns   Vocals (Background)
Kate Pavli   Choir/Chorus
Marianne Johnson   Choir/Chorus
Fred again..   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
PARISI   Strings

Technical Credits

Johnny McDaid   Executive Producer,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Graham Archer   Mixing,Engineer,Vocal Producer
Andrew Wotman   Composer
Christopher Rowe   Vocal Engineer
Amy Wadge   Composer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Owen Pallett   Arranger
Taylor Swift   Composer
Chris Laws   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Drum Programming
Richard Adlam   Programming
Kal Lavelle   Composer
Mike Horner   String Engineer
Michael Pollack   Composer
Steve Mac   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Ed Sheeran   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Charlie Holmes   Mixing Assistant
Dan Lancaster   Mixing
Will Reynolds   Assistant Engineer
Kevin Shirley   Vocal Engineer,Vocal Recording
Kylie Minogue   Vocal Engineer,Vocal Recording
Elton John   Composer
Scott Carter   Composer
Foy Vance   Composer,Producer
Stuart Hawkes   Mastering
Benjy Gibson   Producer
Shizzi   Producer
Matthew Glasbey   Engineer
Robert Sellens   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Matthew Sheeran   Arranger
Kolten Perine   Composer,Producer
Rhys May   Mixing Assistant
Kieron Beardmorre   Mixing Assistant
Matt Wolach   Mixing Assistant
Ant Clemons   Composer
Elvira Anderfjaerd   Producer
Louis Bell   Composer,Producer
Oliver Sykes   Producer
Sam Roman   Composer
Duncan Fuller   Assistant Engineer
Hal Ritson   Engineer,Programming
Natalie Hemby   Composer
David Hodges   Composer
Cenzo Townshend   Mixing
Ben Kweller   Composer
John Hanes   Engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing
Jordan Fish   Producer
Aine McDaid   Recording
Marta Di Nozzi   Assistant Engineer
Jack Parisi   Producer
Kim Lang Smith   Composer
Angie Randisi   Vocal Engineer,Vocal Recording
Dann Pursey   Engineer,Recording,Vocal Producer
ROMANS   Producer
Andrew Watt   Producer
Fred Gibson   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Daniel Pursey   Engineer,Recording,Vocal Producer
Paul Lamalfa   Engineer
Ivory Scott   Composer
Fireboy DML   Composer
Benji Gibson   Producer
Jan Ashwell   Mixing Engineer
Lil Baby   Composer
Neil Dawes   Assistant Engineer
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Engineer
Camden Clarke   Mixing Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Fred again..   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
PARISI   Producer,Sound Design
Joe Rubel   Engineer,Producer,Recording,Programming,String Engineer,Drum Programming,String Programming