I don't get it. I've listened to both of his albums and find them incredibly boring, uncreative and bland. A lot of the songs sound very similar to the last one seem to cover the same sort of themes.

What's the appeal then?

He was good in the Harry potter movies

Couldn't you ask the same of most modern mainstream artists?

Maybe, but this is about Sheeran. His albums don't seem to be impressing the critics either.

Is he just filling that hole other bland MOR artists like James Blunt and James Morrison once sort of filled?

I personally liked James Morrison. Especially the 1st album which was quite soulful.

I really don't get Ed Sheeran either. I don't hate him but just don't see why everyone raves about him so much?

Appeal of Ed Sheeran? What appeal would that be then?
As Homer Simpson would say .. "Borrrinnng"

Well I'm glad someone has said it. I can't understand the appeal. Is the competition so weak or something?

The first song I've liked is the latest single which sounds like a pale imitation of mid-period Van Morrison. To mention Ed Sheeran in the same sentence as Van the Man seems blasphemous, of course.

Some people like him, some don't
Like everything in the world

I can't stand Peanut butter, but i am not making a thread moaning and bitching why others see the appeal and I do not.

I don't get the appeal of Ed Sheeran either. His music is about as exciting as watching grass grow.

Calm down, Ed.

No one was bitching.

I find him bland and insipid, but clearly many millions of people disagree with me.

I didn't like him the first time around. The A Team, Lego House... Very boring songs. (Although, i have to say I did buy the single of You Need Me. That is a fantastic song.)

However I fell in love with Sing the first time I heard it, then Don't and now Thinking Out Loud. All brilliant songs, and the album is great too. I still don't like his older stuff though.

What a completely pointless post.

This is a music forum discussion where people are free to post whatever they want about whoever they want - whilst relating to music.

It's not moaning and bitching at all. That's utterly ridiculous.

Thinking Out Loud is easily the best song of 2014. I'm not even a fan of ES. It's a great antitode to the EDM nonsense and the 'featuring Iggy Azalea' shite of the year.

The album X is still boring as hell but the singles released are on point.

I am a fan of Ed but even I am amazed with how successful he is. However, I am also baffled with the gigantic success that Adele has, that one I truly don't get. Maybe they are just a phenomenon. They are both very honest as artists so maybe thats where this huge appeal comes from.

Really? Thinking Out Loud? I don't even think it's his best song, let alone best song of the year. Photograph is the best on his album, for me.

I think albums like Ultraviolence, In The Lonely Hour and A Perfect Contradiction are the standout albums of the year, but everyone seems to think X is the one. It's a mystery to me.

Wasn't fussed on him with + (although I did like You Need Me I Don't Need You) but X is a fantastic album. You cannot deny he's a brilliant songwriter. IMO the standout song on the album is Don't, which has been the worst performing song. I don't find Ed boring, far from it, whereas I cannot see the appeal of Sam Smith. His songs are boring and quite depressing and I have to turn the radio off whenever he comes on.

I think he's probably one of the most creative and diverse artists around and probably the best songwriter of his generation. I hardly think you could call this collaboration "uncreative".

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nTM7IhGX8OI

Yes to this.

I thought 'Sing' was Justin Timberlake the first dozen times I heard it and would have rated it as one of his better singles!

ETA: Mind you, I like James Blunt. A lot.

People like Sheeran because he's a hardworking songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, great singer and a generally nice guy to boot.

Which, when compared to the arrogant, lazy artists we get soullessly singing songs others have written for them, makes Sheeran a guy who deserves his popularity imo, regardless of whether his style of music is to people's tastes or not.

Here here!!

I love Thinking Out Loud. I also thought Sing was J T at first and was pleasantly surprised to hear it was by Ed. Lovely music from a lovely young man .

Blergh, no. That one really is bland!

Well yes you can if you don't think it is brilliant like you say. I don't really thing there is anything "brilliant" about writing a lot of songs that mostly sound the same.

I understand that and I have respect for people like him who pay their dues, write their own music and do it the old fashioned way. So, in that respect I think he fully deserves his success.

However, I'm another one who just doesn't get him. I just find him dull, bland, insipid and vanilla. His songs that I've heard are musical wallpaper for me. Someone mentioned Adele and I feel exactly the same way about her. Like her as a person and respect her talent but, OMG, I find her music as dull as ditchwater.