Subtract: Ed Sheeran Album Praised by Critics After Copyright Ruling

Critics have praised Ed Sheeran’s latest album, Subtract, which presents a more introspective and darker tone as he reflects on a challenging year.

The album was released on Friday, just hours after Sheeran won a plagiarism court case in the US.

The singer had intended for Subtract to have a more acoustic and stripped-back sound than his usual style, but he abandoned many of the songs he had crafted over the years and instead opted for new songs that directly referenced the personal challenges he faced in 2022.

Sheeran collaborated with The National’s Aaron Dessner on the album, who also helped shape Taylor Swift’s acclaimed lockdown albums, Folklore and Evermore. Like Swift’s albums, Sheeran adopts a more subdued and downtempo sound.

Critics noted that the album is lighter on potential chart hits than Sheeran’s previous albums, but it does feature his single Eyes Closed, which reached number one in April.

The Telegraph’s Neil McCormick gave the album five stars, praising its “fluid, emotional, anxious and atmospheric” qualities and describing it as “therapeutic self-healing.”

However, NME’s Nick Levine was less enthusiastic, awarding the album three stars and noting that it can become “a little samey” in places.

Subtract marks the conclusion of Sheeran’s series of albums named after mathematical symbols, following + (Plus), x (Multiply), ÷ (Divide), and = (Equals).

The album launch coincided with the release of The Sum of it All, a docuseries that followed Sheeran as he recorded the album while navigating challenges in his personal life, including the death of his friend Jamal Edwards and his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

The album directly references these events, along with his recent court cases. Despite its downbeat nature, critics praised Subtract as Sheeran’s best album yet, although it may not have the same commercial success as his earlier work.