DIVID(Ed)

Leah Hardgrove | Contributing Writer

Musician Ed Sheeran comes to St. Louis Sept. 17, but besides his tours and best-selling albums, Sheeran doesn’t have much in common with other modern popstars. These days, it seems as if every major singer makes themselves into a product—Nicki Minaj has her perfume, Beyonce has her clothing line and One Direction had their singing Barbie dolls. Celebrities like Taylor Swift grab their fame by showing off their romantic escapades, while others flash their designer clothes to become “style icons.” No shade to any of these artists, of course—marketing your image in today’s world is just as important as marketing your product. But if selling your image keeps you at the top, why is Ed Sheeran still so popular? He doesn’t have the stereotypical good looks of Harry Styles, nor the Twitter account of Katy Perry. His usual contemporary folk music doesn’t sound like other popular songs today, like “Glorious” by Macklemore or “Without You” by Avicii.

Ed Sheeran says trolls drove him off Twitter; Lady Gaga sends her loveDDP Images | MBR

What makes Ed Sheeran so special?

The less you know about someone’s personal life, the more interesting they become. Ed Sheeran doesn’t put his life on display. In interviews, he sticks to mainly talking about his music, usually not sharing private details about his current life and relationships. In fact, most of the personal information about Sheeran comes from his autobiographical songs: “Castle on the Hill” reveals the struggles of his hometown and growing up, while “Don’t” exposes his messy breakup. And, while other musicians like Kanye West wear their political opinions on their sleeves, you’d have to listen to “What Do I Know?” to understand Sheeran’s positions. Instead of flaunting his life, he hides his private anecdotes in his songs, making his albums more interesting to listen to. You’re not just being entertained; you’re also learning personal gossip.

A big part of his allure also comes from his desire to fly under the radar. In a world of headlines about Justin Bieber crashing his luxury sports car, it’s refreshing to listen to a song by someone with less drama. It’s easier to enjoy a song when you’re not thinking about the artist’s scandals. It’s rare to see Ed Sheeran in the public eye, so when he does post a picture on Instagram or has an episode of “Carpool Karaoke,” it’s a big deal and draws more attention than it would if it were Kylie Jenner. With his ginger hair, messy beard and unconventional body type for a celebrity, Sheeran sticks out like a sore thumb amongst celebrities like Zayn and Nick Jonas. By not conforming to typical societal norms of appearance, more people are inclined to notice him.

He doesn’t keep up with high fashion either. He wears jeans and a regular t-shirt. People can relate more to a celebrity that dresses more like them and doesn’t set impossibly high beauty standards; the celebrity becomes more human and less of an out-of-reach icon.

Even when performing, Sheeran doesn’t adhere to the status quo. While other singers like Selena Gomez perform with a full band and backup singers, Sheeran performs with just his voice, his guitar, a mic and a loop pedal system. His shows aren’t big productions—they’re a time solely focused on his live music. It’s yet another reason why Sheeran is so popular despite being so different from everyone else—he celebrates the music, not all the fanfare. Plus, he doesn’t release albums every year, nor does he collaborate with other artists frequently. Usually, he forgoes extra fame by ghostwriting for other musicians. For him, it’s more important that his songs and lyrics make it out into the world rather than his name be known.

Of course, another reason Ed Sheeran is so popular is his unique sound. Similar to his looks, Sheeran doesn’t try to blend in with the rest of the mainstream, pop-electric genre. He plays the sounds he wants to hear, singing slow, acoustic ballads and Irish jigs. He mixes up usual sounds, creating his own musical fingerprint.

Today in the media, almost every singer has his or her own brand, selling themselves to gain even more fame. Ed Sheeran doesn’t follow that pattern, yet this rejection of the norm is what gives him that same fame. His mainstream presence can survive on him just being himself, singing songs with abnormal tunes and rhythms. Ed Sheeran isn’t a product of his work, but rather his increasingly impressive fame is a product of him just being himself.

Sign up for the email edition

Stay up to date with everything happening at Washington University and beyond.

Subscribe