Uncategorized

Ed Sheeran’s “x” Arrives Everywhere Today

June 23, 2014

The long-awaited sophomore album from British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, “x,” arrives in stores, DSPs and all streaming partners today via Atlantic Records. The album – which Ed calls a collection of some of the best songs he’s ever written – features the Pharrell Williams-produced ‘song of summer’ “Sing,” the emotionally candid, “Don’t,” which was produced by Rick Rubin & Benny Blanco and “Thinking Out Loud,” which recalls Van Morrison and likewise has the sound of an instant classic. The companion video for “Sing” is streaming now at Sheeran’s official YouTube page (https://youtu.be/tlYcUqEPN58) where it has fast amassed over 11 million views and counting.

In the days leading up to the worldwide release of “x,” Sheeran chose the unorthodox route of releasing a song-a-day via instant download after pre-ordering the album on iTunes, as well as giving songs from the album’s deluxe edition exclusively to MTV’s Amplify program, in conjunction with Twitter. Needless to say, Sheeran’s recognizable green & black album art flooded the iTunes “Overall Singles” chart by week’s end.

“ …though he may well be the most prominent folk-minded singer in contemporary pop, he’s an open-eared experimenter at core, and saddled with none of the modesty, false or otherwise, that typically go with the folkie role…Mr. Sheeran is a gifted singer with a tender tone and a naturalistic way with storytelling…”
– New York Times

“…x looks like a smash…the accented yearn of his vocal delivery distinguishes him from other aspiring folkies, but Sheeran’s real gift lies in his writing.”
– Billboard

“[Sheeran] is a polyglot, raised on folk, R&B, hip-hop and rock in equal measure and comfortable incorporating each of those genres into his compositions.”
– Time

As if conquering the iTunes charts wasn’t enough, Ed has rapidly become a favorite amongst the TV & publication worlds, alike. He kicked off the campaign by gracing the cover of Billboard and has since been featured in Rolling Stone, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, People and most recently the cover of Sunday’s New York Times Arts & Leisure section.  Today, VIBE unveiled him on the cover of their Summer issue, speaking to the young singer-songwriter’s widespread appeal.  Sheeran has also brought his captivating live show to television sets nationwide with performances on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Voice.  The recent MTV documentary, “Nine Days And Nights Of Ed Sheeran,” gave viewers exclusive access and an intimate look at the rising talent, chronicling the months leading up to the release of “x.”

In addition to all this, Sheeran has contributed critically-acclaimed songs to two of the biggest blockbuster films of 2014; “I See Fire” for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and “All Of The Stars,” for the film adaptation of the wildly popular book “The Fault In Our Stars.” Both of which are featured on the deluxe physical edition of “x.” Sheeran will embark on his first headlining North American arena tour this summer. For tour dates & information, please visit www.edsheeran.com.


Source: Atlantic Records