In a nutshell: He may not look the part of a international pop-rock star but Ed Sheeren has, with his scruffy look and ginger locks, broken onto the pop charts in a big way. His second album, X, was recently released but will it be just another pop album?
What’s it like: Like a packet of smarties, filled with loads of different colours but they all taste the same. X is an exciting adventure for Ed Sheeren fans. It has a mix of rock, pop and even hip hop influences (probably because the album was co-produced with Pharrel Williams) that fuse into a colourful bowl of pop sounding songs, even if they all about getting drunk, hooking up or broken hearts
Fave Bit: The Man. Ed is breaks pop conventions, rapping about how he can't stop drinking and might die young. Very unlike the image his teen girl fans have of him- we like
Rating: X is an interesting release from Ed Sheeren. More mature than his debut, Ed finally shows us a darker shade of pop. Its sound is comfortable enough to fit into several genres but its when Ed is singing of a broken heart or swooning the ladies that X is at its best. 4/5