Ed Sheeran returned from his yearlong hiatus from social media with a surprise for his fans.
In Dec. 2015, the British singer decided he needed a break from living his life through his phone in exchange to see the world through his own eyes, also notifying his fans that his third album was on its way and “is the best thing I have made thus far.”
Many fans had mixed emotions about his announcement: some begged him to come back, some said they understand and wished him well on his break and some did not know what to do with themselves while he was gone.
On the one year anniversary of Sheeran’s announcement, he posted a blank blue photo, foreshadowing new music. On New Year’s Day, he posted a 9 second silent video of him raising a sign that read, “New music coming Friday!!”
Fans on Twitter shared the same excitement of his long awaited return, saying Sheeran had already “saved 2017.” Since Sheeran said he would return next fall, fans have hoped he would come back on the first day.
Sheeran released “Shape of You” and “Castle On The Hill” Jan. 6 as a teaser for his 12 track album, “Divide.”
“Shape of You” is a funky and fresh single with a retro vibe. This is different from Sheeran’s past romantic, slow dancing singles. The song received its own Snapchat filter, which included blue framed sunglasses, disco lights and the song playing in the background.
“Castle On The Hill” is reminiscent of childhood, where Sheeran paints memories of the past using a quick tempo. The song follows a timeline consisting of a broken leg at a young age, smoking, drinking and what his closest friends are up to.
Many of his Instagram fans said the new music was well worth the wait. Some immediately questioned when the album was coming out.
Sheeran acknowledged the positive feedback, saying that he has “never had anything like this, thank you for all your wonderful messages,” in an Instagram post.
Both singles have climbed the charts in places, such as Australia and the UK, including racking up over 100 million views on his YouTube channel.
Sheeran’s album “Divide” is to be released March 3.
Julia Maldonado can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_arts on Twitter.
