10 Years On - A Love Letter To +
Words by Anna Mac
I remember being 17 years old, organising with a group of friends who would be the ones to purchase tickets for the concert of the year. The gig was in the 3 Arena (The Point back then) on a Friday night in March 2013. We gathered all our resources for the highly anticipated gig and sorted tickets, a hotel and booked the bus up to Dublin from Cork. We arrived early, as we were standing, and in time for the support act, who went by the name of Passenger. We were blown away by his music, and he really got the crowd going, but that was not why we were there. It was for one little ginger man who stood alone on stage with a guitar, a loop pedal and a spotlight.
Ed Sheeran managed to wow the audience with his set, from his absolutely stellar first album +. Everyone in the crowd knew every word to every song, my friends and I included. It was way back when people still bought CDs (RIP) and it was a definitely skip-no-track album. He made every story relatable, every lyric emotional, and every melody catchy.
+ threw Ed Sheeran into the stratosphere, and for many people he remained up there. From 2011, Sheeran’s music has been highly featured as married couples’ first dance songs at their wedding, with Kiss Me being one of the most popular to date. The novelty of a man with a guitar alone on stage paved the way for singer-songwriters everywhere, setting the example that artists don’t necessarily need the razz-ma-tazz of a huge lighting show and full band to execute a headline show perfectly. He had a great thing going for him: your average Brit, barely making a living from busking, writing great songs and got lucky one day with the gift of fame and popularity. Chance is a fine thing.
Now, that’s not to say that it wasn’t absolutely deserved; it gave the norm core portion of the population hope that anything could happen. And when it did happen, the only thing that changed is how many people were listening and paying attention. There was something truly amazing and quite unforgettable about a whole crowd of young adults screaming the words to Drunk in the 3 Arena in 2013. Firstly, it was #relatable because yeah, we did all want to be drunk when we woke up. Unity in boozing is something Ireland has never been short of, and it was probably one of the best crowd reactions Sheeran had to date in his career at that time. Secondly, the simple power of a man with a guitar and a few pedals singing about alcohol reminded us that all it takes to create a moment is a cheerful melody, simple yet clever lyrics and good vibes man.
Ten years on, a LOT has changed. Collaborations with the Biebs and Taylor Swift, several world tours and his first #1 in the US many moons ago (Thinking Out Loud) has left Sheeran with the title as one of the biggest stars in the world. While his sweet songwriting and melodic tunes catapulted him into stardom, Sheeran’s music now is a far cry from what it once was. When Shape of You took off and became a club banger (before Covid), he grasped at the opportunity of creating music for people to dance to, and not just at weddings. With Bad Habits, it could be a song by Joel Corry (no disrespect, big fan of Head and Heart), or a dance song from the early 2000s. Even his voice has changed. It is not half as raw, with a four-to-the-floor beat in the chorus and synth sound that makes him sound like a totally different artist from A Team.
It is totally natural for artists to evolve and change their sound. Heck, look at Taylor Swift from Red to Reputation or Lorde with her latest album Solar Power. It is not always a bad thing, it’s just 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽. A few people lost interest in Ed Sheeran after he changed his style, myself included, while others propped him on a pedestal that he can never be knocked down from.
Today marks 10 years since +, and while it may not be the same type of music he makes, I will always feel a sense of nostalgia listening to the album. From driving in my car blaring Wake Me Up in tears because of young love, or screaming the lyrics to Drunk whenever I hear it, reminiscing of 2013, + will always be a triggering album in the very best kind of way.
