The Ed Sheeran Experience: an Arena Tour Reinvented
Audience
Despite not knowing many die-hard Ed Sheeran fans, Ed Sheeran always seems to be in the top five, if not top three, artists in the world on Spotify. I can only guess it is because of how absurdly inoffensive he is as an artist and celebrity. As much as I don’t see many diehard fans, you rarely hear of a diehard Ed Sheeran hater.
This was immediately noticeable when traveling to MetLife stadium. If you go to a Harry Styles concert, it’s a given that the stadium will be filled with teenage girls wearing pink boas with the occasional parent or boyfriend who probably funded the tickets. This was not the case at the Ed Sheeran concert – in the sold out 80,000 seat stadium, no clear demographic was seen. Couples, families, friends, old people, young people, men, and women of every racial background. I’m aware this is partially due to the diversity found in the New York City/New Jersey area, but I think the main appeal of Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour is that anyone can go and find themselves having a good time.
My relationship with Edward
I bought my tickets impulsively back in January, mostly out of nostalgia as I had been a huge fan of Sheeran in high school during his divide era. However, after the release of No. 6 Collaboration Project in 2019, which consisted of bad British rap or unimpressive pop, I took a step back as a listener. Desperate for live music, I bought nosebleed tickets, and rest assured I got my money’s worth and more.
Openers
With a quick statement on the two openers: Dylan and Khalid. Dylan is an artist I barely knew and previously only associated with TikTok. To my surprise her music was more engaging than I presumed. Also, on a cute note, Dylan and Ed Sheeran both grew up in Suffolk, so there’s a sweet full-circle moment there. Khalid, I was incredibly excited to see, as he is an artist I was also obsessed with in high school. Wonderfully charismatic and adorable throughout, Khalid couldn’t stop waving to audience members and smiling. Both artists were smart additions to the Mathematics Tour, melding with Sheeran’s own music and hyping up the crowd.
Ed Sheeran: The Performer
Fun fact about Ed Sheeran: he’s insanely talented. As he explains two songs in, every song is recorded live on a loop track and immediately deleted after the show is over. Each show is new and not a single backtrack is used. Also, he is for the most part the only person on stage for 2 hours. For each song he builds verse after verse, chords, riffs, beats, lyrics. This is an incredibly unique experience that you don’t see with other artists at Sheeran’s level of fame. I found it incredibly effective as a performance too. The concert felt more personal, intimate, and a true showcase of Sheeran’s talent. He does explain how some songs are built for this format, but others were not meant to be performed live, which in his eyes was a shame, so for one or two songs other band members will appear.
Sheeran also remains charismatic throughout: telling stories, making jokes, and incorporating the audiences. He doesn’t go on crazy long monologues, but keeps the energy going. Sheeran encourages audience participation even for less popular songs, getting the entire stadium to harmonize. Which is an effective tool both in small and large venues.
The Set List
Another strong point of the Mathematics Tour is the set list. Sheeran starts off with a ton of energy with songs like “Tides” and “BLOW,” not necessarily his most recognizable songs, I knew neither. But Sheeran bursts on stage with such presence you have no choice but to stand up. After welcoming the crowd, he moves on to more popular songs: “I’m a Mess,” “Shivers”. Shockingly, Sheeran slows down and plays “The A Team” and “Castle on the Hill” back to back. These are two of my favorites, with an insane amount of nostalgia behind them, I earnestly got pretty emotional early on in the set.
He moves on to parts of his discography that I’m less familiar with: collaboration projects and his new album “Subtract”. This is a slow point, at least for me, who was less engaged. But a good moment to run to the bathroom or grab another drink. A fun random addition however, was the inclusion of “No Diggity.” The cover was integrated into the Ed Sheeran songs around it, but also shook things up for the audience. Moments like this kept viewers on their toes. The second half is what Sheeran describes as “the songs your grandma will know the words to.” With old stuff from albums like “X” and “Divide”, all my cheesy, nostalgic songs needs were met.
A power choice on Sheeran’s part was to end the concert with “You Need Me, I don’t Need You.” Fast, passionate, and abrasive, this song took on new meaning in this 80,000 seat arena. From his debut album, “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” is even more relevant to Sheeran’s life now, with sold out arena tours and billions of fans. Of course, he was raised straight back onto stage to perform “Shape of You” and “Bad Habits.” In total, the set list pleasantly surprised me and made strategic, smart decisions to involve the audience.
The Devil in the Lights
My biggest criticism of the Mathematics Tour is the lightning. For an artist whose branding is being ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ the lighting is a bizarre choice. Ed Sheeran frames this whole experience as just him, the audience, and the music. The lighting however, was an overbearing presence throughout. With crazy effects over the screen and animations inducing sensory overload, the lighting felt like the antithesis of Sheeran’s vibe and aesthetic.
I understand that stadium tours often need an umph factor, like with Pink flying across the stadium, Taylor’s constant wardrobe changes, or Beyoncé’s intricate dance moves. However, this over-the-top attitude isn’t a necessity for every artist, and I find it especially distracting when placed in the context of Ed Sheeran.
Overall Thoughts
Ed Sheeran is TALENTED, and this is fully displayed through the Mathematics Tour. If you are looking for an arena tour and Beyoncé and Taylor seem too pricey, I would highly recommend Sheeran. He brings energy, talent, and emotion. He’s cheesy and inoffensive. He’s Ed Sheeran.