• Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Oct 29, 2021
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 273 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Oct 29, 2021
    1
    If ed sheeran is anything he is consistent. From his lovable good guy persona that feels very real to the ballads that rule wedding soundtracks. At that he hasn't failed. His songs fall into place predictably and the songs are easily digestible with acoustic guitars sharing 90% of the presence. But with this return to form are the same faults of before .

    His songwriting although direct
    If ed sheeran is anything he is consistent. From his lovable good guy persona that feels very real to the ballads that rule wedding soundtracks. At that he hasn't failed. His songs fall into place predictably and the songs are easily digestible with acoustic guitars sharing 90% of the presence. But with this return to form are the same faults of before .

    His songwriting although direct is terribly clichéd to a point of trolling. The nostalgic "first times" feels like a "+" outtake with better profuction and the unintentionally insincere "visiting hours" does so little with it's themes it might as well be a John Green book. And unfortunately those are the few highlights. The perfectly skippable "love in slow motion " is the "thinking out loud " sequel nobody (apart from his label) asked for.

    I will admit the record did disprove my fears of this being ed sheeran's poor man "After Hours" era after the historically disappointing "Bad Habit".

    "Shivers" is a higlight in a dark room. It has a gripping hook supported by a chorus only Ed could deliver. Also the conclusive "Be Right Now" ties the album together really well.

    This album is in no way a failure,it will definitely dominate charts and satisfy fans,but as one myself who also expects any form of growth in a musician's discography i remain disappointed. The ingenuity of "Don't " or experiments of "Gallway Girl" are forgotten answers to a test that i wish could just be filled in. The opening "Tides" doesn't try to be impressive but tells us as many other times on the record, "that im a father now". Even all his realisations and thoughts feel bored and dated. Is an intriguing moment possible? Not according to the cringefest that is " the joker &the queen" isn't worth describing. Just when you feel it couldn't get worse "sandman" tries to lull a baby to sleep but does so to the listener brave enough not to skip ,instead (based on the childlike xylophones alone ).

    This album arouses the same satisfaction "Lover" provided after the compelling "reputation ",leaving you wondering "umm...wtf ".

    I tried. I really did but you can add all the glitter and roses and gold to a wet pool of warm diahorreah and it will still be a **** . This is form four listens. The record could grow on me but currently i am disappointed. A 10/10 would not ~recommend~ touch with a 10ft pole.
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  2. Oct 29, 2021
    1
    So +(plus ) is his best that's all i can say this is just ok! Nothing exciting
  3. Oct 29, 2021
    1
    Still the same. Still boring. I couldn't get through the whole record although I tried. Endless clichè
  4. Jan 6, 2022
    1
    Instrumentally, it sounds not only outdated and awfully outside of Ed’s brand, but it’s also embarrassingly empty and kitsch. On =, Ed tries to open up about his recent experiences, mainly about his family life and big ego. Sadly, it doesn’t work out for him at the end. Before, it used to be cute and magical, but now it’s just tragical.
  5. Oct 29, 2021
    1
    Two or three good/okay songs, the rest is uninteresting. Ed comes back after such a long time and still does the same old thing. Boring and unoriginal. Dude even tried to ride The Weeknd's 80s wave with two or three songs and proved why Abel is superior. There are artists that do what he does but 10x better.
  6. Oct 30, 2021
    1
    The album has 2 or 3 songs that are the best, yet the whole project in general has not shown sound and musical evolution compared to the previous Ed Sheeran albums like '+' and '÷', which have something in common: a basic production with generic sounds that we had already heard from previous projects by other artists, something that I think Ed tried to imitate, but this time the formulaThe album has 2 or 3 songs that are the best, yet the whole project in general has not shown sound and musical evolution compared to the previous Ed Sheeran albums like '+' and '÷', which have something in common: a basic production with generic sounds that we had already heard from previous projects by other artists, something that I think Ed tried to imitate, but this time the formula did not work for him, it is a completely mediocre album. Expand
  7. Oct 31, 2021
    1
    His worst album ever. I’m so disappointed and mad about this. Everything sounds worse than his other albums and you can tell he doesn’t care anymore
  8. Nov 3, 2021
    0
    Music for grocery stores. This album is bland to the point of offensiveness. If you like this, then you you don't like music.
  9. Nov 2, 2021
    0
    Absolute garbage................................................................
  10. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    totalmente sem graça, esses últimos lançamentos dele estão ficando pior com o tempo.
  11. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    his music is not special anymore, he is playing for the charts and trying to make hit songs
  12. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    Com melodias e letras que beiram ao tédio, o "artista" Ed Sheeran entrega mais um trabalho medíocre digno de pena.
    Os 5 fãs; que já não esperavam muito, considerando seu histórico; terão que fingir muito.
  13. Oct 29, 2021
    0
    This is Ed Sheeran on cruise control. He has become the Jimmy Fallon of pop music. Sheeran's shtick is now a well-practiced formula with almost no risk or interesting new ideas. It's just rinse and repeat.
  14. Oct 31, 2021
    0
    Underwhelming album. The past 2 albums have been such a letdown after the fantastic 'divide' album.
  15. Oct 29, 2021
    0
    Ele nunca vai se reinventar????? Ele faz a mesma música desde o início da carreira medilcre dele haha
  16. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    Bland, unoriginal, and uninspired. Ed seems more interested in trying to make the most palatable, least common denominator, safe music that can do well on the charts than actually making music with artistic flare, personality, and uniqueness. His music has never been anything good, but at least albums like + had the personality of a small-town "bring home to your mom" guy at a party with aBland, unoriginal, and uninspired. Ed seems more interested in trying to make the most palatable, least common denominator, safe music that can do well on the charts than actually making music with artistic flare, personality, and uniqueness. His music has never been anything good, but at least albums like + had the personality of a small-town "bring home to your mom" guy at a party with a guitar charm with it. This is just a facade or perhaps parody of that personality, therefore stripping it of authenticity. I've seen interviews with Ed, and he speaks more about the success he desires and comparing himself to the success of artists like Elton John, Dua Lipa, and Adele rather than the music itself. I'm not surprised in how terrible and superficial this album is in the least. I just hope something traumatic happens to Ed so he may dig out some vulnerability to make his music at least somewhat genuine. Expand
  17. Oct 31, 2021
    0
    Bland, Tasteless but what can you expect from a white guy that has never done anything other than generic songs over and over again. He makes one good song as a single and then just makes the rest so bland.
  18. Nov 6, 2021
    0
    Same old sound, nothing new. Skipped all songs and removed them from my playlist. Yuck sums this grabage up
  19. Nov 2, 2021
    0
    Me decepcionó por completo, jamás creí que tenían razón sobre ed Sheeran y su carrera. Otro álbum monótono y aburrido.
  20. Nov 2, 2021
    0
    bland songs, mathematically made for the charts with no flavor at all, just boring and no worth a full listen
  21. Oct 29, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ed Sheeran es exitoso, pero no por música que valga la pena gastar dinero o darle stream. Este es uno de los peores álbumes de la ERA mainstream. No transmite nada, letras básicas y más de lo mismo. X y Divide son lo único bueno que tienen aunque ambos también tienen relleno. Simplemente un cantante sobrevalorado y sin chiste. Que te hace pensar menospreciar las actuaciones de los MTV del 2020 para que luego estés con una guitarra y una vestimenta de persona corriente. mejor que se reinvente o cambie de genero y experimente otros temas de que hablar en sus canciones. Expand
  22. Nov 2, 2021
    0
    Infelizmente, mais do mesmo. O Ed parece que não consegue evoluir musicalmente. Enquanto artistas femininas são versáteis o tempo inteiro ele continua enfadonho.
  23. Nov 2, 2021
    0
    Unlike his previous albums, Equals (=) seems inauthentic and made solely for the charts. The songs are so generic and boring and lack an emotional appeal.
  24. May 10, 2022
    0
    It's AOTY: Abortion Of The Year and I don't even need to hear it in full to come to this conclusion
  25. Oct 29, 2021
    0
    Another bland album by Ed Sheeran, It's like If It was written by a 5 year old kid.
  26. Nov 5, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album is boring like ed personality nothing new he just repeats himself Expand
  27. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ed cayó en lo mismo de siempre creo que necesita despertar y renovarse urgentemente Expand
  28. Mar 30, 2023
    0
    how is this possible that his music is getting worse and worse, like it’s soo bad!
  29. Oct 30, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Un álbum realmente horrible con sonidos básicos y repetitivos urge retiro para ed pobre moda Expand
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 13
  2. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. Dec 16, 2021
    60
    If you’re a fan, you’ll still be a fan and if you’re not, you still won’t be.
  2. Nov 4, 2021
    70
    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.
  3. Nov 2, 2021
    36
    He’s settled into the comfort zone of songs that will haunt weddings for years to come, like “2step,” in which he raps about “Two-steppin’ with the woman I love.” Even at his most passionate, Sheeran sounds as threatening as a meringue peak. ... Sheeran’s reliance on clichés is especially unfortunate during the album’s back half, which is where he placed a majority of the songs about death and fatherhood.