Ed Sheeran, Eyes Closed | Track Review 🎵

Grammy-winning pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran showcases his vulnerable side on “Eyes Closed,” the promo single from his sixth LP, – (Subtract).

“I’m still holdin’ back these tears / While my friends are somewhere else.” 😢. Folks, the 💿 ­– (Subtract) era is upon us! That’s right, 🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Ed Sheeran is back in 2023 with his sixth studio album, following 💿 ­= (Equals) in 2021. 🎵 “Eyes Closed” serves as the promo single and finds Sheeran much more vulnerable.  He deals with the grief of loss, specifically the loss of his friend, Jamal Edwards, who died in 2022.  Edwards gave Sheeran his big break, so, his tragic death unsurprisingly affected him tremendously.  Sheeran pours his feelings into this well-rounded record, which far surpasses the likes of 🎵 “Bad Habit” from his previous LP.

The rhythmic introduction is a stellar start to “Eyes Closed.” It’s followed up with lovely, easygoing vocals by Ed Sheeran. As always, Ed sings with a beautiful tone. The melody is tuneful and rhythmic in the verses, despite the somber sentiment. The first verse features spare production, which is safe but also quite effective –  it places the focus on Sheeran’s voice. The second verse is relatively uncrowded instrumentally but ends up being more developed than the first. “Delusion is here again / And I think you’ll come home soon,” Sheeran sings regarding Jamal, adding, “But I lost more than a friend / I can’t help but missin’ you.” The main attraction, expectedly, is the chorus, which gets a harder hitting beat, and expands dynamically:

“So, I’m dancin’ with my eyes closed

‘Cause everywhere I look, I still see you

And time is movin’ so slow

And I don’t know what else that I can do

So, I’ll keep dancin’ with my

Eyes (closed).”

Final Thoughts 💭

All in all, Ed Sheeran makes a stellar return with 🎵 “Eyes Closed”.  The singer/songwriter has always been at his best when he’s most vulnerable.  Pouring his grief, honesty, and vulnerability into this track specifically pays off big time. It is a fine preface to 💿 ­– (Subtract).

via GIPHY

🎙 Ed Sheeran • 💿 ­– (Subtract) • 🏷 Asylum • 🗓 5.5.23

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Asylum; OpenClipart-Vectors, PIRO via Pixabay]