The British singer / songwriter Ed Sheeran set himself the goal of reaching the musical top at a young age. But as with many young artists, the road to the top is long and difficult. He released no less than ten EPs in five years, but that did not lead to a real breakthrough. In 2009, the then eighteen-year-old Sheeran performed 312 times to gain fame in the United Kingdom. Ultimately, his work
… ethic was rewarded in early 2011 with a record deal with Asylum Records. A performance at the Glastonbury Festival followed and together with his first official album +, Sheeran finally got a foothold. The twelve simple pop songs are pleasant to listen to and after a few listenings, easy to sing along. That doesn't mean that the songs aren't well thought out. Behind The A Team, which was released as a single, hides a nice story about a girl with whom he volunteered in a homeless shelter. The fact that Sheeran once did volunteer work is perhaps typical of his so-early career and his debut album +. Hard work pays off. (BvdV)more
