Ed Sheeran’s so-called “Mathematics Tour,” featuring songs from his albums +, –, =, ÷, and x, has added a second date at Madrid’s Cívitas Metropolitano. General sale tickets for the May 31, 2025 show go on sale today via Live Nation.
In fact, Ed Sheeran has been touring large stadiums since 2022, with some dates even in Spain (he just stopped in Tenerife), and will initially extend it well into 2025 in what will be around 150 concerts around the globe. In contrast to the tour of medium-sized venues and even theatres where he concentrated with the intimate ‘-‘, on this tour he goes all out in terms of what have been the “greatest hits” of his career. Here’s a fact: with 14 number 1 singles in the United Kingdom, Ed Sheeran is only behind Elvis Presley (21) and the Beatles (18). It seems only a matter of time before he at least surpasses the latter. In this article we review 10 of the great classics that cannot be missed on his tour, regardless of their commercial success.
Castle on the Hill
The first track we focus on is not actually one of Ed Sheeran’s number ones, but it is one of his most vibrant and energetic compositions. Released on the same day as ‘Shape of You’, it was overshadowed in the charts by the latter, but it remains one of his most exciting compositions, musically related to U2’s ‘Joshua Tree’ sound, and dealing with the passage of time and those who are no longer with us. It is no coincidence that it opens the tour. It is reminiscent of ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, which also opened the corresponding U2 tour in 1987.
Thinking Out Loud
‘Thinking Out Loud’ is Ed Sheeran’s best song. It doesn’t matter when you read this. The author can lean towards grime, his friend Taylor Swift, go indie like her, or whatever he wants, but what he will always master most easily is the authorial ballad of heartbreak. In this one he approaches the androgynous tone of Tracy Champan – specifically reminiscent of ‘Baby Can I Hold You’ – and for some reason it remains one of his most popular tracks. The video is approaching 4 billion views on YouTube, we’ll leave it there.
Shape of You
Ed Sheeran’s most popular song has 10 billion views between YouTube and Spotify. A real outrage for having managed to surprise. ‘Shape of You’ is a danceable song with a tropical rhythm, produced by Steve Mac, who we just heard on Kylie’s single with Rexha and To-Tove Lo. It was originally written for Little Mix (!), then conceived as a duet between Rihanna and Rudimental (!!), but his label convinced Sheeran to keep it for himself and he certainly doesn’t regret it. The one who should be asked if he regrets not participating is Jay-Z, who refused to include a rap, saying that this song didn’t need any rap.
Bad Habits
Going even deeper into the dance floor, ‘Bad Habits’ gave Ed Sheeran another number 1, this time far from dancehall sounds and closer to 80s synth-pop. Artists like Bronski Beat could come to mind in this song that really talked about addictions. The idea was to promote ‘=’ with a ballad, but the singer decided that in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, he couldn’t deliver a depressing composition to the public.
Shivers
In the midst of his imperial phase, Ed Sheeran replaced himself at number 1 when he released ‘Shivers’… after an 11-week reign with ‘Bad Habits’. Between pizzicatos and declarations of devotion like “I want to drink that smile away”, it is another cheerful song whose credits include that now cult electronic artist called Fred Again.
Perfect
The success of ‘Perfect’ was not as spontaneous as that of other Ed Sheeran songs. It needed a version with Andrea Bocelli and another with Beyoncé to fully catapult it, but it did. It is currently Sheeran’s most listened to song on platforms -no less- and has the merit of having been written entirely by the artist alone. Quite an anomaly in the charts of our century.
Sing
Ed Sheeran doesn’t deny his beginnings on this tour, precisely. On the contrary. Up to 4 songs from his first album are played, including ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’, in which he already rapped, and of course from the second, ‘x’, which took him to another level worldwide and has just celebrated its 10th anniversary edition. The first single and the first number 1 of his career was actually this ‘Sing’ produced by Pharrell Williams. His inspiration was openly Justin Timberlake, specifically ‘Justified’ and ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’, which is noticeable in the falsetto, choruses, guitars and chords. Pure Neptunes and Justin who, being the main instrument, fits perfectly into the Sheeran universe.
Photograph
On that same ‘x’, ‘Photograph’ managed to become another of Sheeran’s classics, under the production of Jeff Bhasker and the then omnipresent Emile Haynie. But the secret of its success is again compositional: the transition of the melody from a pre-chorus that is already “perfect” (“we preserve this love in a photograph”) to a chorus that is even more so, if possible (“so keep me in your pants pocket”).
Eyes Closed
The “minus” phase has been less successful for Ed Sheeran. Collaborating with Aaron Dessner has not yielded as good results as his friend Taylor Swift, perhaps because it came later. Still, ‘Eyes Closed’, also featuring credits from Max Martin and again Fred Again, gave him another number 1 in the islands. The 2023 album ‘Autumn Variations’, also with Aaron Dessner, featured better songs than ‘-‘, but is not being performed on this tour, as it was conceived after the tour was conceived.
Love Yourself
As we’ve told you, Ed Sheeran has sometimes considered giving his hits to other people, and that’s what actually happened with this song that was a hit in the hands of Justin Bieber, even before being chosen as a single. One of those love songs that only need a guitar and good lyrics to make a statement. “My mother doesn’t like you, and she likes everyone,” said what may be the best pre-chorus ever written by good old Edward Christopher.
