#MusicMonday – Ed Sheeran

Just when you think Ed Sheeran couldn’t get any cooler, he goes and releases a new song for the upcoming Hobbit sequel The Desolation of Smaug. I mean, really Ed? Really?

A few months ago I discovered Ed Sheeran, and my music collection will never be the same because of it. If you’re not familiar with Ed, here’s the rundown: he’s a 22-year-old British, award-winning artist, bestie to Taylor Swift, soulful singer and amazing songwriter. He’s extremely talented, performing his songs with just himself and a loop pedal (which allows him to act as drums, bass, and background vocals) and has gained superstardom not only in the UK, but also in the States. His album, +, was released in 2011, and soon after Taylor Swift asked him to write and perform a song with her for her album Red. So they penned and recorded “Everything Has Changed” (love it!) and Taylor loved Ed so much that she asked him to come open her US Red tour with her, which of course he did. (Does anyone really say “no” to Taylor Swift?) His song “The A Team” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy’s, where he performed with Sir Elton John. Ed recently sold out three shows at Madison Square Garden (sold out! wow) where he surprised concert-goers each night with a special guest opening act, and even brought Taylor out on stage at one point to sing with him!

+  has become one of my all time favorite albums; some of the highlights you definitely need to check out are “Give Me Love“, “Lego House” (Harry Potter fans will love this one), “Drunk“, and “Small Bump“. The record has absolutely been played dozens of times in my house and I love watching videos of Ed performing. To get the full effect of the loop pedal and what all this kid can do, watch The Live Room performance of “Give Me Love” here. Ed Sheeran has gone on me and my husband’s list of live shows to see at some point in our lives.

So, we were thrilled when he announced on Twitter a few weeks ago that he was asked by Peter Jackson himself (whoa!) to write and perform the song for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. “I See Fire” is sooo good, I got goose bumps the first time I heard it. Ed captures the story of a dragon wreaking havoc on Middle Earth in this song so well, and I look forward to hearing it as the credits role at the end of the movie. Which my husband and I will be going to see on opening day. Because we’re nerds.

Here is the video for the song, which Ed performs all instruments and vocals on, except for the cello. (I guess there really are some things this guy can’t do.) Break out your hoodies and your cuppa tea and crank this one up, y’all.

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• Ed Sheeran Announces New Track “I See Fire” For The Desolation Of Smaug Soundtrack (popwrapped.wordpress.com)
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