While there are many popular singers, one name that stands out is Ed Sheeran. The famous pop singer who emerged in 2011 has a large fanbase all over the world, consisting of his 35.6 million followers and celebrities such as Millie Bobby Brown, Rihanna, The Weekend, Beyoncé, and Harry Styles. 

His following is well-deserved. One song that stands out as a work of art is Ed Sheeran’s recent 2017 song “Nancy Mulligan,” inspired by the love story of Sheeran’s own grandparents. “His songs hit really hard,” Erin Michelena ‘24 said, who recognizes him as an accomplished artist with true talent. “Ed Sheeran’s music is very good.” While many artists experience backlash, the reasoning behind Ed Sheeran hate is flimsy and disappointing. 

Not all of his music is defendable. Of his more disliked songs, “New Man,” does not reflect his overall talent. One song that many believe is not his best work is “Shape of You,” that some say is shallow and repetitive. Attempting to dispute claims that it is a bad song would be fruitless. 

Recently, Ed Sheeran has been subject to hate and judgement from younger generations on social media. There are a couple main reasons cited for their negative feelings towards the popular singer. Some dislike Sheeran because he does not have a typical “celebrity look,” while others claim to dislike him because his music is too “pop.” 

“A lot of people see Ed Sheeran as ‘a goblin’ because of his red hair and they don’t think he’s attractive,” Michelena said. “They think that his music is bad because of that, but they shouldn’t base his music off of his appearance.” 

There are valid reasons to dislike any celebrity, such as disagreeing with their actions or how they treat others, but disliking celebrities because of the way they look is damaging to the way all young fans view their own personal looks.  

Our generation should be excited to have a celebrity who actually looks like a normal person, rather than perpetuating a society where people are only valued for the way they look and not any skill they may have. People with ordinary looks have just as much skill as “pretty” people, and Ed Sheeran is an example of this finally being reflected in the media.   

Some also dislike Ed Sheeran’s music for being too “pop,” meaning it has an upbeat melody and is easy to follow along. But what is pop music but popular? Ellery Potter ’24 said she didn’t like Sheeran’s music because it was “basic and repetitive.” 

While a lot of his music falls into “mainstream pop” categories, which is not unusual for artists, Ed Sheeran’s music should be enjoyed for what it is — catchy and energetic and often with meaningful lyrics.