'Divide' - Ed Sheeran

'Divide', the new album from one of the most famous male pop stars in the world, Ed Sheeran, has been eagerly anticipated for over two months, and was finally released on Friday 3rd March. The standard edition has twelve songs, including previously released singles 'Shape of You', 'Castle on the Hill' and 'How Would You Feel (Paean)', while the deluxe edition features four extra tracks, bringing the total to 16 and the full running time to just under an hour.

'Shape of You' and 'Castle on the Hill', released as singles on 6 January, have been phenomenally successful and made Sheeran the first artist to have singles debut in the top two spots of the UK Singles Chart. The 'Shape of You' remix with Stormzy also reached number one on the Vodafone Big Top 40 after the two stars performed it at the Brits in February. The two songs are very different but the addictive beat of 'Shape of You' just gives it an edge so it remains one of my favourite tracks on the album.

When I first listened to the album I was instantly drawn in by the upbeat, traditional Irish sound of 'Nancy Mulligan', which tells the story of Sheeran's grandparents, who ran away to get married against the wishes of his grandmother's father. The lyrics are simple but beautiful in both their narration and emotion. The fast, relentless pace of the instrumentals creates a wonderful rhythm. This isn't the only song on the album that is inspired by Sheeran's Irish roots; 'Galway Girl' is similarly influenced, and has a folk-song feel to it that is vaguely reminiscent of 'Passing Glass', a hidden track on his first album, '+', which remains a Sheeran favourite.

The album showcases Sheeran's usual impressive range, from slow, quiet songs such as 'Hearts Don't Break Around Here' and 'Happier' to more upbeat, playful tracks like 'Barcelona' and 'New Man', whilst the rapping that always appears at least once on his albums is present in 'Eraser'. The simple instrumentals in 'Dive' allow Sheeran's voice to shine, and has the best vocal performance on the album with his gorgeous range on full display.

Lyrically, however, the best song has to be 'Supermarket Flowers', which is about the death of Sheeran's grandmother. Let's just say, I cried the first time I listened to it. And the second. It's a very honest portrayal of grief that is stunning in its simplicity.

Sheeran has also branched out into a new style with his West Africa-inspired track 'Bibia Be Ye Ye', which he recorded last year in Ghana with Fuse ODG, an English musician of Ghanaian descent who had a hit with 'Antenna' back in 2012. The title is in the Ghanaian language Twi, and means 'All Will Be Well'. The song is a fun on-your-feet anthem, which, to me, just proves Sheeran's skill in that he can write songs that you dance to and songs that you cry to.

There are definitely some stand-out songs on the album, but even those that aren't favourites aren't weak links; overall, it's a very strong collection that clearly displays Sheeran's instrumental and vocal talent and one I can't see myself getting tired of listening to for a long time yet.