“Equal” is the fifth studio album published by English singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran, released on October 29th, 2021, by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album is a mix of pop and R&B, also known as rhythm and blues. Much like the albums before this one, it carries on the mathematical reference legacy. Talking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Ed explained, “I saw the symbol ‘equals’ as it symbolizes life, not just new life, it symbolizes life and whether that’s the end of life or the start of life.”

His first album “Plus” added new records to classics from his extensive catalogue of both EP’s and indie releases, and his 2014 follow-up “Multiply” sought to build substantially on the groundwork of its successful predecessor.  In 2015, Ed told Entertainment Weekly that “Multiply” was named purposely with the intent to show that it all was a part of “Plus,” bigger, from the venues to the songs to the radio plays to the sales. In 2017 “Divide” became a huge hit across the world. It claimed the Number 1 spot in the United States and gained mass popularity all across Europe, produced chart-topping singles, and eventual led to the highest grossing tour of all time.

Ahead of the 2021 VMA’s, MTV Video Music Awards (a show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium), while talking to Dometi Pongo from MTV News on the red carpet, Ed revealed that there was one more album after “Equals,” and then the mathematical naming system would be retired.

“Equal” is supported by 3 singles, “Bad Habits,” “Shivers,” and “Overpass Graffiti,” and one promotional single “Visiting Hours.” It also features “Tides,” “First Times,” “The Joker and the Queen,” “Leave Your Life,” “Collide,” “2 Step,” “Stop the Rain,” “Love in Slow Motion,” “Sandman,” and “Be Right Now” to end the album.

A common theme among these songs is focusing on the silver lining of things, like a relationship gone sour, and settling into the comfort zone of songs, which reflects his experience as having been married, and now a newly made father. This album in particular never strays far from the idea that a loving embrace can stop time, true love can ride out any storm, and that happiness can be restored with a single kiss, an overall very “feel good” vibe. While several songs are dedicated to his wife, “Sandman” was written uniquely for his daughter.

Compared to previous albums, he has fully embraced the synths that had mainly been sidelined at the beginning. He had originally relied heavily on his acoustic guitar in songs like “Thinking Out Loud,” which spent 19 weeks within the top 40, before peaking number 1 in the UK, and “Perfect” which also eventually peaked number 1 in the UK and in sixteen other countries.

Upon release, Equal received mixed reviews from music critics, who appreciated Sheeran’s emerging sonic experimentation but criticized its production, nevertheless. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” Despite this, the album reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.