Ed Sheeran - Afterglow single review

Ed Sheeran has become a firm favourite in the world of music not only for his plain musical talent but also for his songwriting skills and his down to earth, man of the people, humble approach to music and life. If you ever need a song to fit a specific mood there’s a chance that one of Sheeran’s many incredible hits will meet your needs. So when Sheeran announced he was taking a break back in December 2019 it was a sad blow for fans. 

But on December 21st 2020 Sheeran decided to surprise fans and the world by making a brief return to social media and the world of music to drop a ‘Christmas present’ in the form of his single Afterglow. 

There was a somewhat bittersweet feeling round the release because while fans finally had new music from the man himself, he also made it quite clear that this wasn’t a symbol of a ‘return’ to music and it was no first single or a hint of what to expect from a new album. He made it quite clear this is just a song which he’d written that he loved and wanted to share with the world in the hopes they loved it too. 

The song itself is simplistic, stunning and that classic Ed Sheeran sound, there’s no mistaking this number for anyone else. The song is a completely stripped back number of vocals and guitar, which given the number feels fitting and a conscious decision on Sheeran’s part. The song is an emotional and beautiful number and it can be assumed that the love Sheeran has for the song is due to the likely real life connection behind the lyrical meaning. A meaning which has been heavily speculated by fans with most coming to the conclusion the song is based around the arrival of his baby daughter and the joy and love he has felt at this time in his life. With the lyrics such as ‘we were love drunk waiting on a miracle’ and ‘this is a new dimension’ it’s assumed Sheeran is making reference to the miracle of pregnancy and life and the new dimension of first time fatherhood for the singer. 

Whilst Afterglow is a one off gift to fans from Sheeran in terms of music content and with no idea when we may hear more from him, it’s a wonderful number to keep fans going until they hear from him again. It’s got that easy listening sound that we’ve come to know and love from Sheeran, it is relaxed and soothing that is an almost lullaby like sound; it’s gentle tones and stripped backed sound has created an emotive ballad that listeners will go back to time and time again. Overall, Ed Sheeran has given fans a pretty wonderful Christmas gift during his hiatus and is a gift that I’m sure many will feel keeps on giving as they return to listen to it over and over. 

- Georgina Shine

@imjustabandgeek

Image: Afterglow (Ed Sheeran song) - Wikipedia