Ed Sheeran is coming to the US! His 2023 + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) concert tour kicks off in Dallas at AT&T Stadium on May 6. The last tour concert will be in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium on September 23. This is Sheeran’s first appearance in the U.S since his ÷ (Divide) Tour in 2018. Tomorrow.events envisions this tour will be bigger and grander than his previous ones. T.e foresees that there is a good chance he might break his own records.
Ed Sheeran Studio Albums
Ed Sheeran began his music career in early 2010s by releasing EPs. His initial following was generated via live performances and social media. His first album ‘+’ (Plus) released in 2011. It featured songs such as “The A Team,” “Lego House,” and “Give Me Love.” This album earned him international recognition. He has 5 studio albums to his credit including ‘x’ (Multiply) in 2014 and ‘÷’ (Divide) in 2017. His latest album ‘=’ (Equals) was released in 2021. This is his fourth consecutive album to reach the top of Billboard 100. Its song ‘Shape of You’, alone, has won eleven awards.
Awards and World Records held by Ed Sheeran
Awards
Ed Sheeran is a four time Grammy Awards winner. He has also won six Brit Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award. With over more than 150 million records sales worldwide, he is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. He has 101 million RIAA-certified units in the US, and two of his albums are in the list of the best-selling albums in UK chart history.
World Records
Ed Sheeran holds three Guinness World Records — the highest attendance for a music tour, the highest-grossing music tour by a solo artist as well as the highest-grossing music tour, for his ‘Divide’ Tour. Running from 2017 to 2019, this tour consequently grossed over $776 million, selling over 8.9 million tickets worldwide. He played 260 shows, which is also the most shows played on a single tour, according to Guinness World .
Ed Sheeran and Adele
In 2017, Sheeran had claimed that he aspired to break Adele’s Sales figures. Interestingly, as of 2022, Adele is in the lead with 12,493,940 sales across four LPs, compared to 12,053,318 for Ed Sheeran across five as reported by ‘Music Week’.
The Ed Sheeran way
He is famous for his one-man shows, where he uses looping techniques to create layered soundscapes, building up tracks from scratch and creating a full-band sound live on stage. Here’s a glimpse of how he makes the magic happen!
His performances are characterized by his energy, charisma, and authenticity, as he connects with his fans on a personal level through his music and storytelling. He also incorporates a variety of musical genres into his songs, from pop to folk to hip-hop, which makes his music appeal to a wider range of listeners. Additionally he has a gift for writing lyrics that are honest, vulnerable as well as emotionally resonant. This quality,as a result, has helped him build a strong connection with his audience.
Criticism and Lawsuits
However, its not always rainbows and sunshine. On one hand his unique music and its versatility is his strength, on the other hand there are many who accuse him of changing his style and pretending to be a different person. Similarly there are people who accuse him of using the same chord progressions and melodies over and over again in his songs. Sheeran has also faced accusations of taking other people’s music ideas.
‘Photograph’ Copyright infringement
In 2016 he was sued by two songwriters of the song ‘Amazing’ by Matte Cardle, on the basis of copying aspects of the song for ‘Photograph.’ However the case was settled out of court in 2017. The two writers were added to the credits of ‘Photographs’ consequently.
‘Shape of You’ Lawsuit
He was also accused of copying the hook for the song “Oh I, Oh I” by Sami Chokri in his track “Shape of You”. Sheeran won this London High Court trial just before the UK/Erope leg of his ‘Mathematics’ Tour in 2022. Here is his public statement:
‘Thinking Out Loud’ Lawsuit
He is currently facing a lawsuit by the heirs of Marvin Grey. The suit was filed in 2017 and the court trial starts on April 24th, 2023. He is accused of copying Marvin Gaye’s legendary R&B song “Let’s Get It On” for his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.” Ed Townsend, co-writer and composer of the song, claims that Ed has copied “harmonic progressions” and “melodic and rhythmic elements” of the song unlawfully. Civil rights attorney representing the Townsends’, Ben Crump, has been reported saying, “For far too long, Black artists have created, inspired and spread music all around the world.” He further adeed “And Ed Townsend’s family believes artists’, like Mr. Sheeran’s infringement of Black artists, is merely another example of artists exploiting the genius and the work of Black singers and songwriters.”
However, Sheeran’s legal team insists that the songs are similar only because of the similar characterization of pop music. Here is the latest update on the case
Break Time and Retirement rumours.
At the end of his record breaking ‘Divide’ Tour in August 2019, Ed announced that he was taking a break. He stated, “As you may or not know, I’ve been on the Divide tour for over two years now and this is the last day of the whole thing. There is something very bittersweet about it. I love that you guys are here and we are ending it in Ipswich. This is my last gig for probably 18 months.” Here is a sneak into what he said and what followed
In the meanwhile he worked on his new album = (Equals). He also announced the released in August 2021. Later in September 2021 he announced his ‘Mathematic Tour.
In the beginning of 2022, Sheeran also went through some personal tragedy and hardships. His best friend and music producer Jamal Edwards passed away and within a month his wife was diagnosed with a tumor during their second pregnancy. However after Jupiter’s birth, his wife Cherry went through her surgery and is on the road to recovery. He took to Instagram in February 2023 and made this announcement:
Mathematics Tour – UK/Europe
It’s noteworthy that he recently wrapped the UK/European leg of the “Mathematics” tour. More than three million people attended this tour’s concerts in over six months. He also held a live streaming of this tour’s concert from Ipswich’s Portman Road stadium. Consequently, with over 5.5 million, Sheeran broke the record for the biggest ever live music performance on TikTok.
+ – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour – North America
‘+ – = ÷ x’ Tour is his first stateside tour in almost five years. He will be performing in 21 cities in North America. It will feature the ‘=’ (Equals) album for the first time since its release. He will be touring in cities including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Nashville, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and California, to name a few. Special guests Khalid, Russ, Dylan, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters, and Rosa Linn will be joining him for this tour.
North America Tour Dates
Here are Ed Sheeran’s + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) North American tour dates 2023.
MAY
06 – AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas, US *
13 – NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, US *
20 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, US *
27 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, US *
JUNE
03 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US *
10 – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US *
17 – Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ^
24 – FedExField, Landover, Maryland, US ^
JULY
01 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US ^
08 – Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US ^
15 – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan, US ^
22 – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee, US @
29 – Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, US @
AUGUST
05 – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, US @
12 – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US @
19 – Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado, US @
26 – Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, US #
SEPTEMBER
02 – BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada #
09 – Allegiant Stadium Russ, Las Vegas, Nevada, US +
16 – Levi’s® Stadium, Santa Clara, California, US +
23 – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, US +
* = w/ Khalid and Dylan
^ = w/ Khalid and Rosa Linn
@ = w/ Khalid and Cat Burns
# = Khalid and Maisie Peters
+ = w/ Russ and Maisie Peters
Overall, Sheeran’s unique combination of musical talent, creative innovation, and emotional authenticity are what help him stand out as a performer and a songwriter. Despite all the records breaking album and performances, he has been in the news due to various lawsuits. Yet his popularity, in general, does not seem to have taken a serious hit. All eyes and ears are set on this tour. T.e foresees it to be an absolute success and an experience not to be missed. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up before they all sell out!
