Divide
by Ed Sheeran
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2017
User Score
4.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 780 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 312 out of 780
  2. Mixed: 132 out of 780
  3. Negative: 336 out of 780
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  1. chidime
    Mar 3, 2017
    4
    With the initial singles released (Castle on the Hill, Shape of You), I had high expectations for this album. I wasn't expecting to love every song, bu I was expecting Album of the Year kind of quality. I was wrong. This album is really flawed. I don't want to say it's bad, but it's bad. It's not bad in the sense that the songs are just terrible, but in the sense that Ed failed to executeWith the initial singles released (Castle on the Hill, Shape of You), I had high expectations for this album. I wasn't expecting to love every song, bu I was expecting Album of the Year kind of quality. I was wrong. This album is really flawed. I don't want to say it's bad, but it's bad. It's not bad in the sense that the songs are just terrible, but in the sense that Ed failed to execute properly on the vision he had for this album. Listening to the entire thing, I could grasp the kind of overall sound he was aiming for, but he failed to both create compelling songs to achieve that vision, and/or to create songs that are sonically cohesive. You might hear glimpses of genius (in Eraser or Bibia Be Ye Ye or Barcelona for instance) but that feeling is drowned by the realisation that the song doesn't fit or that it's potential was not fully explored.

    Overall, a very lacklustre album that has spots of potential that sadly never gets realised, and also sorely lacks focus.
    4.5/10    … Expand
  2. eagleeyeviking
    Apr 1, 2017
    6
    Middling with a few great exceptions, Ed Sheeran's downbeat 'Divide' is a collection of generic ballads with each song having one nuance to stand out. The best songs are when he experiments with different genres, or delves deep into the lyrics. Unfortunately, most of his songs are simply bland love songs.
  3. JoeWilliams
    Apr 21, 2017
    6
    Castle on the hill is kind a catchy and a bit honest, Perfect is far from a perfect song but it shows confidence, Supermarket Flower,Eraser, Gallaway Gir shows some okay-ish vibe of the album. Songs like What Do I know, Barcelona & Shape of you are just generic and average most of all cheesy. the rest of the songs on the album that I didn't mention are too dull, Uninteresting or bland toCastle on the hill is kind a catchy and a bit honest, Perfect is far from a perfect song but it shows confidence, Supermarket Flower,Eraser, Gallaway Gir shows some okay-ish vibe of the album. Songs like What Do I know, Barcelona & Shape of you are just generic and average most of all cheesy. the rest of the songs on the album that I didn't mention are too dull, Uninteresting or bland to talk about.… Expand
  4. Music_Observer
    May 14, 2017
    5
    This is the epitome of modern musical plainness, with nothing but short market-approved tunes that overshadow any attempt from Sheeran to show ambition and leave behind a bitter taste to listeners who truly care about music. My Score: 94/180 (Deficient) = 5.2/10
  5. danjenkins32
    Mar 20, 2017
    6
    I'm a genuine fan of Ed Sheeran, but this album is far too tropey and clichéd for my liking. Eraser, Castle on the Hill, Dive, and Supermarket Flowers are the strongest songs here and the only real moments where he seems to emote. I was hoping he'd incorporate more of the influences of the countries he traveled to on his year off here, and he did that more so with the songs from theI'm a genuine fan of Ed Sheeran, but this album is far too tropey and clichéd for my liking. Eraser, Castle on the Hill, Dive, and Supermarket Flowers are the strongest songs here and the only real moments where he seems to emote. I was hoping he'd incorporate more of the influences of the countries he traveled to on his year off here, and he did that more so with the songs from the deluxe edition. Barcelona I could do without, but Bibia Be Ye Ye and Nancy Mulligan are honest, upbeat songs that would have lent themselves to a standard album that followed the aforementioned concept of focusing on his travels and reconnecting with himself. Save Myself is compelling as well since, for once, he takes a hard look at himself and knows he has to fix his own flaws before entering into a relationship with someone. Everything else here is either "poor me, this girl left me and her life is better and mine is still **** or "I've found someone new and my life is glorious now!" Ed should have picked a lane and stuck with it, and written better lyrics for the "someone new" songs. How Would You Feel is the only quality ballad here, all the others just sound the same. Ed can do better and has done better, and I'm hoping he'll do better again on his fourth album. But given the undeserved amount of cockiness he's displaying in his interviews for this album, I'm not sure that he will.… Expand
  6. DramaticFighter
    Jun 24, 2017
    5
    unfortunately, Ed Sheeran disappointed everyone with a generic and bland Cd, It was way too boring and there was no essence of him, I can ensure you that this album have been released by anyone. I still like him,anyway.
  7. tulietto
    Mar 4, 2017
    5
    The album is kinda disappointing, has some bops like New Man and Perfect but is totally forgettable; that Barcelona song is awful, looks like at some point the worst Shakira and Piqué are going to show up and Catalonia becomes Panama. Benny Blanco did an amazing album producing though.
  8. bentheking
    Mar 12, 2017
    4
    Extremely generic and bland. The basic pop music needed to rule the charts without actually having any impact. The soundings of a sad work with blazing numbers!
  9. longjetty7
    Mar 7, 2017
    5
    Divide is somewhat better than I expected it to be (not an Ed Sheeran fan, tbh), but it's still just a fairly average album. His strongest skill is certainly his lyrics, and there are some good ones here, but when it comes to the music his stuff is just really bland. There's nothing very adventurous or surprising here, it's just the same cutesy songs with his signature rap singing. IDivide is somewhat better than I expected it to be (not an Ed Sheeran fan, tbh), but it's still just a fairly average album. His strongest skill is certainly his lyrics, and there are some good ones here, but when it comes to the music his stuff is just really bland. There's nothing very adventurous or surprising here, it's just the same cutesy songs with his signature rap singing. I honestly have no idea how this guy is so popular. His music sounds so dated.… Expand
  10. zabboo
    Mar 3, 2017
    5
    This record starts off strong with two songs about interesting and deep topics, then takes an immediate nosedive into the world of generic and rehashed love ballads, none of which are very interesting until Sheeran touches on the loss of his grandmother in the album's closing track.
  11. Kayno1
    Mar 4, 2017
    6
    It's a shame this album ended up being another love ballad collection. There are three songs in the whole album which give an actual message, but the rest are just boring love songs made for depressed kids that just lost a two day relationship. It's a shame Ed Sheeran has fallen into the realm of mainstream music, but I guess that's what fame does to very talented musicians these days.It's a shame this album ended up being another love ballad collection. There are three songs in the whole album which give an actual message, but the rest are just boring love songs made for depressed kids that just lost a two day relationship. It's a shame Ed Sheeran has fallen into the realm of mainstream music, but I guess that's what fame does to very talented musicians these days. Most of the songs also sound very much the same, as I found it a struggle trying to identify them at times. The three songs that are actually pretty good are eraser, castle on the hill and supermarket flowers, but the rest are unfortunately very poor, especially compared to his older music.… Expand
  12. MR_headphones
    Jun 18, 2017
    4
    i like edd

    eraser: 5/10 i can't think of anything but gingers are the future of hip hop castle on the hill: 5/10 there's just something i don't like but i don't know dive: 3/10 boring shape of you: 2/10 perfect: 4/10 boring galway girl: 8/10 i really like this song but i can't think of anything to say happier: 4/10 boring new man: 4/10 way too full. that makes no sense hearts    i like edd

    eraser: 5/10 i can't think of anything but gingers are the future of hip hop
    castle on the hill: 5/10 there's just something i don't like but i don't know
    dive: 3/10 boring
    shape of you: 2/10
    perfect: 4/10 boring
    galway girl: 8/10 i really like this song but i can't think of anything to say
    happier: 4/10 boring
    new man: 4/10 way too full. that makes no sense
    hearts don't break around here: 4/10 boring
    what do i know: 6/10 idk
    how whould you feel: 4/10 boring
    supermarket flowers: 4/10 boring but sweet
    barcelona: 4/10 it's just nothing
    bibia be ye ye: 5/10 that guitar doesn't work
    nancy mulligan: 4/10 nothing to talk about
    save myself: 4/10 boring

    there's just nothing to latch on to here

    light 4    … Expand
  13. clei
    Nov 14, 2017
    4
    Such a horrible album. But I'm not surprised at all, his previous work is bad as well, only generic songs. I would call this pop trash, because that's what it is.
  14. ultimatepalmtre
    Nov 28, 2017
    6
    Some great songs on here, but the more I listen to it the more I realise that it was just a quick money ploy. The great songs triumph and the bad ones fall in comparison. It's a massive shame considering the quality of his previous album 'X'. However, this is still a good album with mainly the first 4 singles as well as Erazer, Dive and New Man.
  15. artur_azevedo
    Jun 5, 2019
    4
    With little exceptions, Divide fails to deliver freshness, as it can bore anyone who's not Ed's fan with it's repetitive themes and vocals, plus sounding very generic and formulaic if compared both with what's been popular for the last decade and with what Sheeran has put out over the years. His writing has no ambition whatsoever, lacking innovation, complexity or even an enjoyableWith little exceptions, Divide fails to deliver freshness, as it can bore anyone who's not Ed's fan with it's repetitive themes and vocals, plus sounding very generic and formulaic if compared both with what's been popular for the last decade and with what Sheeran has put out over the years. His writing has no ambition whatsoever, lacking innovation, complexity or even an enjoyable simplicity. If you listen to some songs separately they might not sound that bad, but going through the whole thing is just a painful, seemingly endless take.… Expand
  16. fifi3
    Jul 28, 2019
    6
    An album that has aged very poorly in my opinion. It's flawed, overplayed and obnoxiously trite, but I will give it a 6 due to the handful of good tracks and the eclectic path Sheeran chose to attempt here. Still one of the better pop records.
  17. BHay
    May 12, 2017
    5
    I hate to say it because I am a huge Ed fan, but this album disappointed me. It sounds like he just put the most successful sounds from his last album and put them in a blender for this one. By far the most generic of his work, nothing new or exciting. Very pleasant music, but nothing special.
  18. mynameisfrenz
    Aug 31, 2017
    6
    This album is not impressive like others. It's full of common lyrics and mainstream pop songs. Without personality, this album is so distant from the past two. Some tracks reminds to soul music, others to Irish music, others to alternative rock. But it's a generic pop album with some good songs (Happier, Castle On The Hill and Dive).
  19. prestonhung
    Jul 6, 2019
    4
    'Divide' can be described with three words - simple, plain, dull. Although sometimes sentimental and fun, "Shape Of You" is a super redundant and annoying track, not because it is played nonstop on the radio, but because of how uncomfortable and intolerable the lyrics and melody are. Most of the tracks on this album are basically filler tracks. Just like Imagine Dragon's 'EVOLVE', both'Divide' can be described with three words - simple, plain, dull. Although sometimes sentimental and fun, "Shape Of You" is a super redundant and annoying track, not because it is played nonstop on the radio, but because of how uncomfortable and intolerable the lyrics and melody are. Most of the tracks on this album are basically filler tracks. Just like Imagine Dragon's 'EVOLVE', both albums are not a bit experimental and interesting, just two plain old albums waiting to be sold.
    Strongest Tracks: "Castle On The Hill", "Perfect", "Galway Girl", "Happier", "Supermarket Flowers"
    Weakest Tracks: the rest of them, especially "Shape Of You"!    … Expand
  20. gabrielcipriano
    Dec 21, 2018
    4
    The album followed the basic and generic Ed Sheeran, we have no developments or anything new that can surprise us or even improve this new album vision. I do not say it was a tragedy, but it would be like listening to the previous albums. A little bit and very disappointing.
  21. Alessio99
    Jun 27, 2018
    4
    Had to listen to this album a few times over to realise that it was a step backwards for Ed. A shame tbh but we still have + and Multiply.
  22. pauldiam
    Jun 24, 2018
    4
    Unoriginal, uninspiring, nothing special and definitely overrated. There are a few good moments but this is getting too much buzz and success without a valid reason. Didn't deserve the Grammy award too but i guess Grammys recognise the commercial performance rather than the quality.
  23. PlugInBaby
    Feb 7, 2020
    6
    Very overhated IMO. Not as great as his first two (and I hate Shape of You), but some tracks such as DIve and New Man are great
  24. MARTINCARDENAS
    Nov 3, 2021
    6
    I would say that it is an average album that does not surprise much, there are several songs that save it as "Perfect" and "Shape of you" & Nancy Mulligan ". But" Bibia Be Ye Ye "is the most irritating song of the abum...
  25. andyn823
    Jun 6, 2020
    6
    This album is a little bit cheesy, mediocre and boring. It is not inspiring or impressive at all. I used to really like this album but after I listened to all the songs in this album, it turns me down. It is not a good album at all. I think that "Happier" and "Perfect" are actually best songs on this album that I have listened. These songs are full of love and feelings and they make meThis album is a little bit cheesy, mediocre and boring. It is not inspiring or impressive at all. I used to really like this album but after I listened to all the songs in this album, it turns me down. It is not a good album at all. I think that "Happier" and "Perfect" are actually best songs on this album that I have listened. These songs are full of love and feelings and they make me feel emotional. I love these songs and I think that Ed did a very good job writing these songs. "Castle on the Hill" is also a good song. "Shape of You", in my opinion, is overrated. It has catchy beats, but the lyrics and the music video, is weird and cringe. It has repetitive lyrics, not very meaningful. Most of the songs on this album are cheesy and they sound like they are written for kids or cartoons.… Expand
  26. ariangelfan
    Sep 19, 2022
    5
    a voz dele é gostosinha de escutar porém com o passar do tempo fica enjoativo, já gostei muito desse álbum um tempo atrás, hoje em dia não consigo mais escutar.
  27. earlgreyrelief
    Nov 19, 2021
    4
    I've always admired Ed's talent for composing, but this album seems composed for a mediocre band or wedding singer. He's good but too overrated.
  28. Maria_isachaves
    Sep 3, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It’s not my favorite album however it clearly sounds good to majority of people I know. Sheeran has been creative with an mix of music styles as seen in multiply (e.g., don’t, thinking out loud, bloodstream, etc) but divide takes an interesting path within same style, problaby leaning towards something less romantic, thought I not sure. To finish it’s hard to deny that “Dive” looks like a bored version of the Thinking out loud and Happier a version of the Stay With Me by Sam Smith.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Most Discussed Album of 2017
10
#10 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
  1. PopMatters
    Mar 16, 2017
    50
    At best, we have a middling collection of songs that are going to sound great in a packed arena. At worst, it’s a pretty significant step back from X, and once the initial novelty of its release wears off, it’s unlikely to enjoy the popular acclaim or the longevity of its predecessor.
    Read full review
  2. Q Magazine
    Mar 14, 2017
    60
    Listening to this third LP, you wonder if some of the good ones slipped through the cracks. [May 2017, p.102]
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Mar 10, 2017
    70
    As calculating as Sheeran can seem here, he understands there’s a fine line between universal and generic, which is why he gives his songs the idiosyncratic touches they need to stand out.
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