Ed Sheeran is a man who needs little to no introduction in the music world today. He has built up a successful solo career internationally as a singer, songwriter and musician. He is an amazing and uniquely gifted artist of the 21st century. By this stage in 2024, Ed Sheeran had completed his so-called “Mathematics Series” of albums, and this compilation release should not have come as a total surprise to fans of Ed Sheeran (Sheerios). It is an essential compilation release, subtitled The Mathematics Tour Collection and contains material recorded and released from the period of 2011-2023. That is quite some time in any artist’s career to cover a successful and long-term range of songs. This album was released on 27 September 2024 and is a fairly lengthy listen at over an hour and a half long, although it charted highly in many countries worldwide. Let’s listen to this compilation and we shall hear if it is any good.

The A Team launches straight into some decent guitar work, both electric and acoustic, and has Ed Sheeran singing smoothly over the top of it all. He comes across as a decent musician and an average guy with regular dreams, hopes and aspirations in life. Nonetheless, this is a winner of a listening experience that sounds sensationally good. Ed Sheeran himself sounds amazing in this song, and he proves his musical worth throughout. The singing is accompanied by guitars and strings, and Ed Sheeran sounds emotional in his singing and music throughout. A very lovely and interesting tune to listen to, our main man gives us the gift of amazing music. A fantastic listening experience from start to finish, even if Ed Sheeran receives a lot of criticism musically. His guitar playing perfectly matches his vocals, and the string section is sublime. A great listen nonetheless, this sounds very pretty and magical. Worth your ears, and a great listening experience from start to finish. Magical.

You Need Me, I Don’t Need You begins with some weird guitars, and Ed Sheeran beatboxing and rapping. Which is very odd for this kind of music. Regardless, this is an interesting and good tune to listen to, and Ed Sheeran sounds like he is showing the world that he is stronger and a better artist than what others would make of him. An awesome tune to listen to, this music sounds supercharged and rather aggressive throughout. Ed himself sounds like he is trying to prove a musical and lyrical point by ignoring the fakes and other hangers-on in his life. Nonetheless, this music is very, very good. Even if you aren’t into singer-songwriter styled music, this will likely work up as a treat for you. A decent and memorable tune to listen to, from start to finish. Very wonderful to hear, and an awesome tune that sounds very angry.

Lego House begins with some pretty acoustic/electric guitar arpeggios and has Ed Sheeran singing about lego and other things in this song. Soon enough, this music gets going with electronic-styled looped drumbeats, piano and other dramatic musical touches to go with Ed Sheeran’s instantly recognisable and great singing throughout this song. He sounds very emotionally touching and musically uplifting throughout, and this tune is yet more proof of his ability to craft great songs. This is a song of love and devotion throughout, and Ed sounds like he had from the early days, a great deal of amazing songs to conquer the musical world with. This is definitely great, and worth hearing.

Give Me Love begins with some gorgeously mixed and played acoustic guitars, and sounds very different. A mournful string section enters, and we are underway here. Soon enough, some pounding percussion enters in a very downtempo way, and Ed Sheeran sounds really excellent on this song. This is sweet and hugely melodramatic throughout. Our main man sounds very upbeat and incredibly powerful throughout, just sounding melodic and full of passionate emotional energy. This music is very, very good and articulate with emotional energy and passion throughout. Ed Sheeran delivers a gorgeous musical statement, with references to love and drowning one’s sorrows with alcohol, this music is passionate and amazing to listen to. A real joy in a musical sense to listen to, this sounds extremely sweet and good to listen to. Towards the end are some downpitched and multitracked vocals stating the title of the tune. Ed Sheeran sounds a lot like Bono of U2 with his vocals right at the end, and this tune wraps up with Fender guitars and looped vocals, chanting away, followed by a string section. Fantastic.

Sing begins with some acoustic guitars and drum machine beats, launching itself into a catchy and upbeat tune that sounds very good. Nonetheless, this points out that Ed Sheeran was a mastercrafter of music from the go in his musical career. His falsetto vocals and furious acoustic guitar strumming sound really brilliant here, as does the electronics added to this music. Ed Sheeran raps nicely along here, and the music and rhythm are both fantastic throughout. Nonetheless, Ed is really on fire in this song, and he sings and plays with a powerful spirit throughout. This music is sensationally great, to this very day. Ed Sheeran himself should be proud of this music, even if critics dismiss this as radio-ready trashy Pop Music, which it isn’t. A great four-minute-long tune that maintains the listener’s interest from start to finish. Worth hearing.

Don’t begins with some brilliant multitracked harmonies, and launches into an acoustic-driven tune about an ex-girlfriend who is problematic. A really great listen, this points out the difficulties of being famous and attempting to have a steady relationship as well. Ed Sheeran articulates his thoughts and feelings perfectly in songs such as these. An awesome listen, and a bit of a moral story about dating and relationships. Nonetheless, this is a very groovy and catchy listen from start to finish. An awesome tune, with some neat piano in the chorus. This tune is a stinging attack on Ed Sheeran’s ex-girlfriend. Great to hear and to listen to, this sounds extremely catchy and enjoyable from start to finish. A genuine music classic.

Thinking Out Loud is a famous early career piece by Ed Sheeran. Ed puts his heart on his sleeve here, and he sings sweetly and fantastically here. Singing nicely and in a lovely way over acoustic guitars, piano and beats throughout, Ed Sheeran is one of the best singer-songwriter musicians out there today. Songs such as these prove this point very nicely. Yes, this is the sort of music aimed at single ladies out there who have problems getting a date, but it has a much broader music appeal than that. A genuinely sweet and gorgeous listen from Ed, this is a magical musical moment in his back catalogue. A really amazing listen throughout, this has some musical magic throughout. A really sweet and beautiful song with a fantastic vocal in the chorus, this simply sounds amazing and fantastic. A mid-position Fender guitar solo is present in this song towards the end. Very, very nice. Worth hearing and enjoying to the full. Very moving, passionate and awesome.

Bloodstream begins with some muted and percussive acoustic guitar playing over EDM-based beats in the right channel. Ed sings some absolutely wonderful harmonies throughout, and he quickly launches into a great and interesting tune about drug use and failed romances. Many of us have been down this path in life, and Ed Sheeran sings a song about how drug use and wishing for a high of his own. No doubt he has used hard drugs before, and this song describes using hard drugs to ease one’s emotional pain. This is a fantastic listening experience that anyone who understands the psychology of drug use will connect with and understand. A really glorious and fantastic song, no doubt all drug users from caffeine to fentanyl will connect with this fantastic tune. A really deep and different-sounding piece of music, with an organ part and a crazy sounding build up of sounds and textures right at the end. A really great listen, “Tell me when it kicks in…” repeats Ed Sheeran. This song will make you want to get high right away upon listening to destress. Great song.

Photograph begins with some sweet and synchronised acoustic guitars and piano. Ed Sheeran sings about the pain and misery that being in love can create. A beautiful, simple and sweet tune that sounds absolutely wonderful, this is an absolutely killer and sweet tune about melancholy memories after seeing one’s photograph in their wallet/purse. The mixture of acoustic guitars, drums and piano with Ed’s singing makes for a delightful listening experience. Nonetheless, this does sound pretty, memorable, unique and lovely to hear. A very sweet and moving listening experience. By the release of this song, Ed Sheeran was on fire musically and was able to take over the world with some absolutely fantastic songs. Absolutely worth listening to, and very, very enjoyable to listen to. A highly emotional and very nice tune.

Tenerife Sea is a very nice-sounding piece of music from the start, with some gorgeous acoustic guitar fingerpicking. Ed Sheeran sings sweetly about meeting up with an absolutely perfect lady, and he sounds very emotional and melodramatic in this simple yet powerful music. If anything, Ed Sheeran is the answer to many postmodern blues, just with him and his acoustic guitar. This music is sweet and sensationally powerful, and Ed Sheeran delivers an absolutely romantic and magical tune to listen to. Very, very awesome to listen to and to enjoy. A very beautiful and lovely listen, the second half sounds extremely sweet and nicely built up and textured throughout. This song is an absolute winner and this compilation is a great starting point for people to get stuck into Ed Sheeran’s music. The ending is absolutely sublime, and very emotionally moving. Awesome to hear.

I See Fire begins with some lone vocals by Ed Sheeran, sounding absolutely fantastic throughout. This song is a glorious winner musically, and Ed Sheeran gets stuck into the song with some neat acoustic guitar playing and soft singing that is multitracked over the top. This quickly launches into a great song, likely based on The Lord Of The Rings, which sounds absolutely fantastic to listen to set to Ed Sheeran’s music. A really awesome and terrific tune, Ed Sheeran is musically untouchable in many, many ways. A violin/fiddle solo is present on this tune as well, and the music is fantastically glorious. A real winner of a tune, this is undeniably fantastic and listenable throughout. Ed Sheeran proves to Sheerios (aka his fans) that he can play, sing and perform beautifully on his own songs. Ingenious. A really great listening experience from start to finish, this is proof of Ed’s wonderful singing, playing and musicianship in all of his songs. Fantastic to hear. Worth every single moment of your ears.

Lay It All On Me (feat. Ed Sheeran) is a Rudimental tune. It begins with pounding piano and some other guitar-based textures that are trippy and quickly launches into a very Ed Sheeran-sounding piece of songcraft that sounds really awesome and excellent throughout. Soon enough, once this hits the chorus, one will be nicely bopping along to this pretty, well-crafted and powerful-sounding piece of music. A truly terrific and enjoyable listening experience that sounds absolutely pretty and nicely driven throughout. Ed himself sounds confident in these songs, and he delivers a sweet and fantastic musical statement. A very thoroughly enjoyable song, even if this isn’t purely an Ed Sheeran tune. All the same, this is a powerful, energetic and interesting listening experience that sounds very melodic and wonderfully musically driven. A top-notch slice of four minutes of music. Energetic and worthwhile listening. It ends with looped harmonies and a head-rush finale.

Castle On The Hill is one of the standout tunes by Ed Sheeran. It begins with some pleasant guitars, kick drums and some iconic and memorable sounds by our main man. A pleasant and awesome listening experience about childhood memories that one can easily cherish, this sounds sweet, magical and glorious throughout. One of the most popular songs by Ed Sheeran recorded so far, he is in full power mode here. A really fine and fantastic tune, this is one you can put either on repeat or on your Spotify playlist. A really sweet and reflective song about underage drinking, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and other memorable youthful experiences that Ed Sheeran reflects upon. A truly awesome, U2-ish and fantastic listening experience in a simple song. The second half of the song has some updates about Ed and his gang from his childhood. A really sweet tune to hear, this is a golden oldie. Blast this tune in your car right now, it’s a genuinely great song. Worth every moment of listening.

Shape Of You is the most popular song by Ed Sheeran. Oddly enough, it was originally recorded for Rihanna in mind but was later appropriated for Ed after he realised it was too good to give away. It begins with some awesome electronic loops, acoustic guitars and Ed Sheeran singing wonderfully on this smash hit song. A really awesome and impressive listening experience with some rather sexist lyrics, but nonetheless, a catchy listen. The repeated phrase in the post-chorus section is absolutely fantastic, and Ed Sheeran sings gorgeously and wonderfully in this song. This song sounds absolutely sweet and awesome, with many nicely layered sounds and production that perfectly match this song, which is a fantastic listen. If you are going to Thailand for a holiday, this should be your song of choice. The second half has a breakdown with animated handclaps and a great anthemic conclusion to finish up with. Worth every moment of listening. Absolutely top.

Galway Girl is a song about Ed Sheeran’s grandparents. It launches straight into some clanging acoustic guitars, upbeat singing and Ed Sheeran singing nicely about the Irish tradition in his family. The fiddle throughout is magical, as is the song. A must hear about Ed Sheeran’s family, this is a superb and interestingly layered tune that sounds super great and awesome throughout. A fine, fantastic and well-aged piece of music that is less than three minutes long, this is a really top listen, through and through. Energetic, awesome and unique, Ed Sheeran puts his heart on his sleeve in his songs. A fantastic listen from start to finish.

Perfect is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. It is about Cherry Seaborn, Ed Sheeran’s now wife. It is an absolutely gorgeous and lovely song to listen to. If this song does not move you to tears, nothing will. Ed puts his heart on his sleeve on this tune, and he sounds very raw, emotionally naked and honest on this tune. A really moving and sweet tune, this is exactly what newlyweds need to play at their own wedding. A really fantastic and enjoyable piece of music, this is absolutely moving. Again, this is a real tearjerker, but with a great reason for such a thing. In any case, this is a magical listening experience that very few can match in a musical sense. A really lovely and awesome tune, with a very nicely played acoustic guitar solo in the second half. Super sweet and lovely to listen to, this simply works extremely well. A lovely tune to hear, and most certainly worth hearing. Awesome.

Happier is next, and is about moving on from what was a heartbreaking relationship. Ed Sheeran reflects on such a thing and expresses musically the very best for an ex-girlfriend. This is a confrontational piece, but perfectly pretty and awesome to listen to, and Ed Sheeran articulates his best wishes to an ex-girlfriend, who he did wrong. In any case, this is a sweet, pretty and moving tune that sounds extremely wise and sweet in many ways. An awesome tune, and one that a man can relate to, tinged with regret. A very sad listen, but Ed Sheeran makes one feel better about the situation. Another awesome song to listen to, and definitely worth your time. Very sad indeed.

Dive begins with some punchy drums, and clean guitars and has Ed Sheeran professing eternal love to a lady. This sounds really great and awesome, from the start. A really wonderfully driven and melodic tune, this sounds really awesome. Ed Sheeran puts in one of his career-defining performances on this song, and he demands to know everything about a lover who he is with. A very awesome, honest and precisely delivered song that makes perfect sense to the listener at hand. An awesome tune with some very awesome and raw singing, Ed impresses all listeners out there with this song. In the second half is a majestic electric guitar solo, which sounds really mint. Nonetheless, a very awesome and dramatic tune that sounds really fantastic from start to finish. Very, very cool to hear. A wonderful song, period. Worth your ears.

I Don’t Care features Justin Bieber. It is an interesting listening experience from the start, with Ed Sheeran singing about social anxiety and other emotional issues about being out with a lover at a party. Nonetheless, this music does sound really melancholy, yet fantastic to listen to. A really awesome, powerful and decent tune to listen to, this sounds extremely lively and good to hear. Justin Bieber’s guest vocals are also excellent, and he sounds like he is related to Ed Sheeran on this tune, although he is not. Nonetheless, a killer tune that has a lot of magic within it. A powerful, interesting and lively tune that deserves repeat listens. Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber make for a great duo combination, and this song is a fairly realistic listening experience. Definitely worth listening to, and it has a decent groove from start to finish throughout. Magical.

Beautiful People (feat. Khalid) begins with a click and launches into a very deep and warm-sounding tune, with basslines and beats galore. Ed Sheeran sounds confident but distressed here, and he sings about being a misfit in his social circles with his lover. In any case, this is a great song, and in particular, the chorus is very awesome. Singing about the lifestyle choices of people who live in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and who destroy their lives through drugs, alcohol, fame and partying. All in all, this is a really awesome tune to listen to. A powerful and wonderful tune, this is a warning to those chasing the lives of celebrities as their own. Great song, once again. Very well crafted and mixed as well.

Afterglow launches into it with a count-in and has some dual-tracked vocals by Ed Sheeran over acoustic guitar. A really awesome and great tune, this sounds sensationally great. The music, once again, sounds extremely good and dramatic throughout. A very sweet listening experience, this sounds very cool and dramatic throughout. Ed puts his best emotions through his music, and he sounds absolutely amazing in these songs. This is a little weaker overall compared to other Ed Sheeran songs, but it still sounds very, very good. An awesome and powerful tune to listen to, this sounds incredibly sweet and gentle as a song. Very well performed and played. Worth hearing.

Bad Habits is the rather infamous hit single by Ed Sheeran, drenched in autotune. Even so, this is a very good song, although unlikely a great one. It is the closest that Ed ever got to EDM, and he sounds less like the acoustic guitar and songwriter that he began his career as musically. Instead, he is set to 4/4 beats and electronic textures on this tune. Regardless, this is an interesting listening experience that is more textural rather than song-based. If you ever wondered what would happen if Ed Sheeran made a Techno tune, this is for you. Trashy but enjoyable, our main man goes a little over the edge of what is acceptable musically in this song. Nonetheless, this is very catchy and has some nice acoustic guitar parts towards the end. A good but rather garbage listening experience.

Shivers is a better song than the previous one before it, with more electronic sounds and textures that sound fantastic. Ed Sheeran himself sings nicely about being young and being in love. Again, this is much more textural than an actual song but is catchy and memorable throughout. A really passionate and excellent tune that is extremely catchy to listen to. It does sound like a danceable and irresistable listening experience, and Ed himself sounds very much like he is enjoying himself on this song. A cool, clever and fun listen, the sounds throughout are really excellent and will either make one bang their head or dance like crazy to this song. The multitracked vocal parts are really fantastic throughout as well. A top song to listen to.

Eyes Closed begins with some classical guitar parts and launches into a descending melody. This is a tune about the sacrifices one makes in their life with one’s partner. A great listen, Ed Sheeran himself puts out some of his insecurities into a song. In any case, this is another marvellous creation from our main man, and he sings and plays guitar wonderfully. To be fair, even though Ed’s career peak may be long gone, he still holds a big musical audience and makes some decent tunes. Case in point, this song. A gorgeous tune to listen to, this music and playing sound absolutely amazing for what it is. Definitely worth a listen from this compilation.

Merry Christmas is a collaborative effort with Elton John and is the last tune from this compilation. Ed Sheeran sings about the festive season in this song, and there is a variety of sweet and smooth instrumentation to boot here. A really great listening experience, both Ed Sheeran and Elton John sound very good here. For Sheerios, this is an essential listen, but for the rest of us, this may not be such the case. A good listening experience about forgetting one’s worries at season festive time. Nonetheless, a really sweet and awesome tune that has warmth and purpose. A good listen, albeit flawed and cheesy to hear. This repetitive tune completes a good compilation articulating a decent career so far by Ed Sheeran.

This is a must-have for anyone who has ever liked a few Ed Sheeran songs out there, and many of you fit into that category. Ed Sheeran proved that, during this period of time, he was truly untouchable in a musical sense and that nobody came anywhere near him musically. The result? A must-have compilation in your collection. Yes, you should listen to this release, this is a reflective and important part of 21st-century musical history. A fine collection of songs.

Worth hearing every moment.

9/10