Get ready to start hearing Ed Sheeran on country radio.
In recent years, it has become somewhat of a norm for pop artists to cross over into the country music space. Singers like Post Malone and Beyoncé have made really big splashes recently trying on the genre for size, and one could argue that detours into country have been lucrative for both artists.
But traditional country music fans aren’t all that thrilled about the trend…
That being said, artists from different genres trying out country have arguably made country music as big as it’s ever been. So it’s a real catch catch-22 for some who want country to become more mainstream, but then also want country music to… stay country.
With all that in mind, I’m sure the news that Ed Sheeran wants to move into the country music space will be somewhat divisive. The “Shape of You” singer has been a hitmaker since he broke out in 2010s, and though the English singer-songwriter has mainly stuck to pop, he’s always been intrigued by country.
Of course, this is not the first time he’s referenced country music. He’s a known friend of Luke Combs, he’s performed at Tootsie’s, and he said in 2023 that he wanted to try country music. But unlike many pop stars trying to cash a check, he has a DEEP appreciation for country music.
In a recent interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, host Alex Cooper asked Sheeran how he feels about “American things.” One of those things listed off was rodeos, and Ed Sheeran immediately perked up when Cooper brought it up. He went on to say that he’s even talked to his manager about touring at rodeos, and that his time spent living in Nashville, Tennessee in 2013 and 2018 helped him appreciate all things southern.
That prompted Cooper to ask if Sheeran would ever entertain the idea of crafting and putting out a country album. The 34-year-old gave an answer that really makes it seem like it will absolutely happen someday.
“I think there’s… yeah, I guess so. From living in Nashville, you can’t just dip your toe in. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it, and that’s it.”
Sheeran went on to say that if we were to cross over, his “country style” would likely blend the American country sound with that of Irish Trad (Irish Traditional) music. If you’re not familiar, country music has a lot of its roots in Celtic music. But he’s apparently already recorded some tracks that would be categorized as country, but Sheeran insists that once he make the move to country music, he’d be there for good:
“I’ve made country songs in the past; they’ve just never come out. I have to do it properly, and once you transition to country, you can’t transition back. Once you’re there, you’re there.”
Once you go country, you never go back? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that saying…
Based on how the conversation went, it sounds like Ed Sheeran transitioning to country music isn’t a matter of “if,” but instead a matter of “when.” Alex Cooper asked if the switch would be something that he’d do later in his career, and this is how Sheeran responded:
“100%. Nashville is like my favorite city in the States. It’s always been like my end goal. I’m going to move to Nashville and transition to country, but I think you just have to do it properly. It’s a genre you have to really respect, and it’s not just a dip in and out.”
And I respect that answer… wish more pop stars respected the genre. Other than Post Malone, I haven’t seen too many who have a deep appreciation for the art.
Well there you have it.
If you ask me, the lines of what is and isn’t country music are already blurred. Having artists like Sheeran continue the trend of non-country-artists making country music will only help further those blurred lines. So I guess it’s up for interpretation on whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing for the genre as a whole.
Though I say that, something tells me that a lot of country music fans are going to react to this news from Ed Sheeran a bit like this guy reacted to the pop singer when he stopped into Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway not too long ago:
@edsheeranBack in Nashville for the day, not everyone was happy about it to begin with
