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Almost exactly 14 years to the day after the release of his debut album, \u201c<\/span>Plus<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d, Ed Sheeran marks the beginning of a new era \u2014 the stereo era \u2014 with the release of his eighth studio album, \u201c<\/span>Play<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u201d on Sept. 12.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sheeran is a 34-year-old English singer-songwriter and producer, known for his unique projects with titles that reference mathematical symbols such as \u201c<\/span>Multiply<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u201d <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Divide<\/span><\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> <\/i>\u201c<\/span>Equals<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d and \u201c<\/span>Subtract<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201c. These projects are often referred to as the \u201cmathematics era\u201d and while they do not necessarily refer to math, they are grouped together to represent the themes behind specific phases of his life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u201cWhen I was like 18, I had an idea for like 10 albums, Sheeran said in an interview with <\/span>People<\/span><\/span><\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, Equals, and then Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind and Stop.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n His albums experiment with blending many different genres, including folk, pop, rap and R&B. He began releasing his own music in the form of EPs in 2005, but he did not release his <\/span>first studio album<\/span><\/span><\/a> until Sept. 2011.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cPlay\u201d is Sheeran\u2019s most personal album, according to <\/span>Billboard<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/a> It \u201ccelebrates love, life, culture, exploring, creativity and technicolour,\u201d Sheeran said in an <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/span><\/a> post. While the album fits within the pop genre, Sheeran also explores heart-wrenching ballads, fast-paced rap verses and many South Asian instrumentals and inspirations.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The stereo era is introduced with \u201c<\/span>Opening<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u201d a song that draws the listener into Sheeran\u2019s experience of grief, trauma and ultimate recovery. The song begins as a somber story, with lyrics that detail specific events from his life. He grieves the death of his friend <\/span>Jamal Edwards<\/span><\/span><\/a>, a music executive with whom Sheeran worked closely, and discusses the fear associated with his <\/span>wife\u2019s cancer scare<\/span><\/span><\/a> back in 2022.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOpening\u201d bounces between emotional pop ballad verses and rap-style refrains that, while exciting, can become a bit overwhelming by the end. The ballads mixed with rap do not smoothly transition between one another, making it feel like many different songs in one.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Following \u201cOpening,\u201d \u201c<\/span>Sapphire<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d and \u201c<\/span>Aziza<\/span>m<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d bring more positive lyrics and playful instrumentals. The album\u2019s third single, \u201cSapphire\u201d was inspired by <\/span>Sheeran\u2019s recent t<\/span>rip to India<\/span><\/span><\/a>, where he spent much of his time recording \u201cPlay.\u201d In this song, Sheeran experiments with South Asian instrumentation, including the use of a <\/span>sitar<\/span><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0 a stringed instrument often resembling a lute that is popular in Hindustani music. Arijit Singh, an Indian singer, is featured on the song\u2019s bridge singing in the northern Indian language<\/span>,<\/span> Punjabi. The song quickly jumped to <\/span>number one <\/span>on Spotify in India<\/span><\/span><\/a> after its release in June. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2024\u2019s Plummer Jazz Quintet members will return at\u00a0Friday\u2019s jazz festival. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Released in April,<\/span> <\/span>\u201cAzizam\u201d is the lead single off \u201cPlay.\u201d The song embraces classic pop inspirations while introducing Persian and Indian percussion instruments into mainstream pop. The term \u201c<\/span>Azizam<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d refers to a Persian word that translates to \u201cmy dear.\u201d In the song, Sheeran details his love for his wife, Cherry Seaborn, in lyrics such as \u201cWell, tomorrow can wait, losin’ time in this place. \u2032Til the sun is awake, be like a magnet on me<\/span>.\u201d<\/span> While unique to mainstream American and U.K. pop, the inspirations from Indian music create a romantic sound.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n While there are many upbeat songs on \u201cPlay,\u201d Sheeran explores the ups and downs of life and love with a few acoustic ballads, including \u201c<\/span>Old Phone<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u201d This song explores the concept of moving on and losing the connection you had with loved ones. \u201cOld Phone\u201d is by no means the most flashy, exciting or even experimental song off the album, but it shows his genuine emotions and vulnerability, confronting what has been broken and the process of healing from that.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Most of \u201cPlay\u201d is experimentation, and \u201c<\/span>A Little More<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u201d is nothing short of experimental. The song is filled with funk and jazz inspirations, especially with the horn section of the instrumentals. It\u2019s fun to bop along to without using over-the-top production. \u201cA Little More\u201d is straightforward in its lyrics, highlighting what it is like to exit a toxic relationship.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n