Ed Sheeran has once again proven to the world that his musical prowess is unmatchable.
The “Photograph” singer embarked on his “Mathematics Tour” after creating a compilation of songs from all 7 of his albums, with those from “+, -, x and /” making most of the list since last year April.
Based on the level of intimacy Ed shares with his fans whenever he is on stage, we decided to check out the set list of the mathematics tour, break down some of the songs, and see what makes them special.
Before then, know that most of the songs on the set list of the mathematics tour have been recognized globally. Also, you probably never knew that “Peru,” which was released in 2021 by a Nigerian superstar known as “Fireboy DML” was added to the list.
Peru received massive recognition when it was released. It received two nominations for 2 categories which were Song of the Year Award for African Entertainment, and Outstanding International Song, NAACP Image Awards, all in 2021.
We see that even though Ed Sheeran was only featured on the remix of the song, he included it in his setlist because of how much his fans related to it when it came out in 2021. Additionally, Ed Sheeran has included more dates for the mathematics tour, specifically to bring the tour to his European fans.
If you are on the lookout for tickets, don’t forget that a marketplace will be the perfect place to get Ed Sheeran Europe Tour tickets.
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You – 2011
AKA, “You Need Me” was released in 2011 by Ed Sheeran through his debut Album, “+,” pronounced as “Plus.”
Initially, “You Need Me” was released by Ed on his EP which was named “You Need Me” back in 2009. He then re-recorded a new version of the song, adding intensity to the beat, and released it in 2011. It reached No.4 on the UK chart for singles and became Platinum certified after selling more than 600k units upon release.
Counting from 2011, “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” has been around for more than 11 years, but it still has a special spot on the set list of the Mathematics tour.
This is one song that truly justifies the musical Era of Ed Sheeran having lived through each live performance of the now 32-year-old English songwriter and singer.
The funny thing about this particular song is that most of the Mathematics tour concert goers were barely teenagers when it was released. Yet somehow, thousands of them now vibe to it. That is solid evidence of being a musical genius.
Give Me Love – 2012
This is another song by Ed Sheeran that has not only earned its place in the mathematics set list but also contributed its quota of fame and growth to Ed’s career.
Officially, “Give Me Love” is the 9th song on the mathematics setlist. The song is 8:46 minutes long, the longest song on the mathematics setlist.
Ed performed “Give Me Love” in 2012 during the results show for The X Factor. Additionally, the song was used in episodes of The Vampire Diaries and Cougar Town. The usage of the song in these episodes sky-rocketed its popularity while introducing it to new lovers of the music.
Furthermore on the recognition of “Give Me Love,” the song has been certified Platinum 6X in Australia, 3X Platinum in Canada, and 2X Platinum in the US. It also sold 420k units, 240k units, and 2 million units respectively.
Denmark marks the only region where “Give Me Love” is certified Gold, and it sold 900k units.
I’m A Mess – 2014
People in the world can’t help but feel like “I’m A Mess” a couple of times. That, we believe, is one of the reasons why this song has received special performances by Ed amidst his mathematics tour despite being released close to 10 years ago.
Unlike most of Ed Sheeran’s songs, “I’m a Mess” did not perform well as expected when it was released in 2014. It first entered the UK singles Chart at No.72 spot where it stayed for some time before moving up to No. 49 due to massive download sales by fans.
“I’m a Mess” alongside “Thinking out Loud” were the last two songs that Ed recorded for his album, “X” pronounced as “Multiply.” The album received global recognition, peaking at No.1 in more than 15 countries.
It also topped both the US Billboard 200 Chart and the UK Albums Chart.
Shape of You – 2017
Released more than 5 years ago, “Shape of You” is also included in the Mathematics tour setlist. The single which became a global sensation when it was released came from Ed’s “/ (Divide) album”.
So far, Ed has been performing Shape of You from the “Divide Album,” since the Divide Tour; the third tour he headlined upon becoming a musical Ace.
You might wonder or ask why Ed keeps repeating an old song in every one of his live performances.
But that would be an absurd question, seeing that “Shape of You” is in fact, a global anthem for lovers or anyone looking to find love. And from the last time we checked, they make up 46.4% of the population in the US alone.
Bad Habits – 2021
“Bad Habits” is Ed Sheeran’s first solo release for over 4 years, from an album. The singer had been engaged with his live performances from albums released in previous years; among other things to the extent that he couldn’t create time to record a solo single until “Bad Habits” in 2021.
The song was welcomed by lots of critics who compared it to a musical work like that of Weeknd. Aside from that, “Bad Habits” received global recognition and there are awards to show for it.
“Bad Habits” received 11 nominations, and won 3 which are Best International Song, Best International Video, and Best Song Categories. The Awards were presented by LOS40 Music Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards. It also peaked at No.1 in more than 28 countries, proving to be a successful record precisely in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
It was streamed 17.7 million times, received 38.8 million airplay, and sold more than 33k copies.
The success recorded on “Bad Habits” led to collaboration between Ed Sheeran and British Rappers, Tion Wayne and Central Cee, and the song was added to “=” pronounced, “Equals,” Deluxe edition.
Tides – 2021
Tides peaked at No.3 on the New Zealand Hot Singles Chart when it was released. The song is Sheeran’s 1st Track on the “Equals” album which is the 5th studio album of the singer.
The song was written and produced solo by Ed Sheeran under the Asylum record label in 2021 and it is the 1st song on the official list of the mathematics setlist.
For Ed, Tides is more than just a song. It holds personal memories for Ed, like the times he gets to spend with his family away from the chaos of life.
Sheeran said, “Tides’ lyrics are about what went down in my career, and my personal life.” He added that the chaos of life shuts out when he is with his family. That is why whenever Ed performs “Tides” on stage, the crowd feels special because they know what the lyrics mean to Ed and they can relate.
