What has red hair and writes hit songs for a living?

I've always had a lot of respect for Ed's songwriting abilities. He isn't a wizardly musician, nor does he have Freddie Mercury's voice - but his songs are so damn catchy and his style is easy to fall in love with. From a musical perspective, most of his songs use a variation of the same chords in different orders. If he's writing a foot stomping stadium sing along, he'll use the I-V-vi-IV progression. If he's writing a swooner's tune complete with strings and falsettos, he'll whip out the old the tried and true vi-IV-I-V. Nevertheless, I never get tired of his music. He is a masterful melody maker who writes relatable lyrics, and that keeps him interesting. Even his simplest songs haver a tendency to give me chill bumps. It takes something special to make that happen.

Songs like "The A Team", "Castle on the Hill", and "Cross Me" really showcase Ed's knack for storytelling. They catch your ear with a smooth melody, then rope you in by taking you on a lyrical adventure. Ed loves to talk about how he's just a normal guy despite his worldwide fame, and I think he's telling the truth. You won't find superficial lyrics in his songs. Just stories that are seemingly effortless for him to tell, like a hit making machine that never turns off or breaks down. Listen to his music and try to critically analyze it. Those with trained ears will undoubtedly hear the far from new " hit formula" that he makes his music with, yet to me his songs rarely feel empty or void of passion like so many other songs in the same genre. That takes a certain class, and a certain talent, that many today simply do not possess. If you think that you do possess that unique songwriting ability... lets freakin collaborate!

CH