Shape of You
The biggest hit of the 3 singles (although to be fair one was only released yesterday so we can't really judge it's success yet.), 'Shape of You' initially annoyed me on the first few listens but it's grown on me significantly since then. The lyrics are probably the weakest part of the song, with them presenting Ed as some kind of smooth sexual person, which isn't really conveyed in his voice, at least at first. That said, the double tracked vocals on the chorus are a step in the right direction and there's nothing cringe-inducing or overly in your face. It strikes the perfect balance of song-that-can-be-played-at-an-8-year-old's-birthday-party and song-that-can-be-played-at-a-club which many songs on the radio are missing.
The production is average, with the same melody repeated throughout the whole song, although it's subtle enough to not get overly annoying. There's also enough variation to make it interesting, with a wide variety of artificial and live percussion and with varying guitar picking/strumming as the song moves along.
Overall it's decent, and is easily the second best best number one single the US has had for months after 'Starboy'.
7/10
Castle On The Hill
So far it seems as if 'Castle On The Hill' is generally less liked than 'Shape of You', which is a shame as I personally think it's the better song. Despite being released as essentially a double-A side with 'Shape' it's already fallen down the Billboard top 100 to the second half of the table, and doesn't seem to getting any real radio radio play. Some have criticised the song for being 'the same as '7 years' by Lukas Graham', probably because the first line of 'Castle' is "When I was six years old".
However, unlike '7 Years', 'Castle On The Hill' actually paints an image of nostalgia rather than boasting about how great you are. The opening U2-esque riff grounded by the surprisingly good bassline builds up brilliantly to the explosive chorus, which is the the most passionate Sheeran's ever sounded. The lyrics are also very visual, effectively painting pictures of time passing without seeming overly sentimental. Pretty much as good as a top 10 hit we're likely going to get this year.
9/10
How Would You Feel (Paean)
I really hoped that this song wasn't around the corner, but I knew it was coming. The 'slow, romantic Ed Sheeran song' is quickly becoming a staple of his career. I've never had a point in my life where I've enjoyed ballads (Obviously there are many exceptions.), and even when the general public agrees on a one to become a hit I can't usually get behind it. 'All of Me' by John Legend, 'When I was Your Man' by Bruno Mars, 'Thinking Out loud' by Sheeran and even 'Someone Like You' by Adele just aren't my cup of tea, so when I initially heard 'How Would You Feel' I instantly grouped it into this category.
After hearing it more, I've decided that I like it more than all of those mentioned above, but still have some big problems with it. The whole song feels insincere, simply because of how many times we've seen Ed do this. Surely by this point he knows that the public will eat this kind of thing up, hence why this was released as a single when most songs similar to this by other artists stay as deep-cuts or album closers. Also, the lyrics are very generic, with not a single line that sticks out to me even after I've heard it about 10 times.
The instrumentation is typically slow but the piano melody is nice and the violins help to make the song more relaxing. Best is the guitar that pops up near the end of the track, especially the guitar solo, which fits the mood of the track well. Nonetheless, I feel like this is the kind of song I won't be remembering in a month's time.
5/10
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