Ed Sheeran is one of the most popular artists of our time, and is my personal favorite. He holds the world record for the fastest selling pop album in the UK for a male artist with his album, ➗ , according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He also claims the title for most simultaneous UK top 20 singles, holding 16 out of the top 20 spots, which was most recently held by Michael Jackson in 2009.

In addition, “Shape of You,” was the most streamed song on Spotify in 24 hours. Likewise, when Sheeran released “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” he became the first act to debut in the UK and US top 10 with two songs simultaneously. From his last album, “X,” Sheeran also claimed many world records. In 2015, Sheeran set the record for most consecutive weeks in the UK top 40 with his single “Thinking Out Loud.” “Thinking Out Loud” also holds the title for taking the longest time to reach number 1 on the UK official singles chart with a total of 19 weeks. The ballad reached number 1 when Sheeran performed it live on The X Factor.

While we all know how popular Sheerhan is, sometimes we forget the true extent of his talent. Ed Sheeran isn’t only skilled at singing ballads like “Perfect” and “Thinking out Loud,” he is also a talented rapper. Songs like, “You Need Me I Don’t Need You” and “Eraser” reveal the true depth of this talent. But he wasn’t a natural born rapper. Growing up, Sheeran had a major stutter. To try and get rid of it, he practiced rapping along to Eminem albums, which eventually helped him recover. If you’ve ever heard his songs you would never know his stutter had even existed. Sheeran reveals a lot about his life and experiences through his songs which helps the listener connect to his music.

Sheeran also values the importance of artists writing their own songs and being honest with fans. In “You Need Me I Don’t Need You,” he sings, “singer-songwriter you’re just bluffing, names on the credits say you didn’t write nothing.” Sheeran is incredibly open with his fans through his songs. For example, before he acheived success, Sheeran was forced to live on the streets in London, and the song “Homeless” tells fans about that period of his life. In addition, “Nancy Mulligan” tells stories about his grandmother’s life, and “Supermarket Flowers” is about how her passing away affected him deeply.

I saw Sheeran in concert over the summer, and before beginning the song “Nancy Mulligan”, he told the audience about his grandmother. The combination of talent, presentation, and honest performance made for a truly fantastic musical experience.

Part of the reason why I am such a fan of Ed Sheeran is because he is an incredibly versatile artist and has a song for all of my moods. When I’m happy, I listen to “Barcelona” and “gold rush.” When I’m sad, I play “Sunburn” and “Supermarket Flowers.” And when I’m mad, I listen to “You Need Me I Don’t Need You.” Ed Sheeran has done it all, and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.