I’m not sure where to start with this album… It’s different from his previous works, but not in a bad way by any means. If you don’t know who Ed Sheeran is, then I’m convinced that you’re living under a rock. Subtract is an album that’s just a lot more personal than what Ed has put out in previous years, and quite frankly, it wasn’t until I watched his docu-series in full [which can be found on DisneyPlus] that I’ve started to really lament on what these songs mean to me personally.
Grief and loss is something that a lot of people have gone through in life, including me. Now I wouldn’t call myself an expert when it comes to this, but I do feel as if heartbreak is part of the grieving process, and when I had my very first heartbreak as a teenager, it was extremely difficult for me to get through that at the time. I can also remember when my first male cousin passed away several years ago, as well as both of my grandmothers. Up until a couple months ago, I could say that I barely had any sort of grasp on what it was like to actually experience any sort of loss as it was harder for me to understand the concept loss as a child. Needless to say that while some relationships may not be good for you in some way, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt still. There’s a lot that needs to be processed and felt when you’re in that big, emotional mess of trying to work through it, so I think that this album can help almost anybody who’s hurting or grieving in some way.
Certain songs from Ed’s album like Eyes Closed, Life Goes On and End Of Youth best describe what grief and loss has been like for him. What’s crazy to think, however, is how in addition to this happening to him (losing his best friend who's well known in the British rap industry), he also got news of his wife having cancer while being pregnant- this is mentioned in his song "Toughest". Just months later, he ends up in a court case due to copyright issues for his hit single “Shape Of You”. It’s not much of a secret that when you’re living the life of a celebrity, there’s this pressure to maintain an image, and the longer you become accustomed to that image, the harder it gets to realize that you’re just as human as anybody else. Even those who are mega-famous, like Taylor Swift for example, are allowed to be human and experience what it means to be human; I feel like it’s important for the rest of humanity to understand and remember that regardless of their public influence.
To close out this review, I just want to let all of you know who are reading this that no matter what it is you're going through, there's always somebody out there who cares, like me. And if no one has told you this today, then you matter and what you're feeling in this moment matters. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise, and it's okay if you're unable to see that light beyond the tunnel; the sun will show itself once you're ready to accept it and let it shine.
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