Plus, Multiply, Divide, Equals, and Subtract look less like an artist's discography and more like the buttons on a calculator. Fans learned the system anyway, although asking them to place every symbol in chronological order may still cause confusion.
Then Ed closed his mathematics era and pressed Play, trading equations for a media button. This symbol is more related to music, we have to admit, but it doesn't make his album shelf any easier to explain. Following his discography feels like solving a puzzle designed by a musician who owns a guitar and is apparently obsessed with calculators.
The music is much easier to recognize. If you hear the opening seconds of any of his hits in a public place, you'll know it's "Shape of You". You'll also know you're at the grocery store. Looking for snacks. If they're for tonight, please count me in. "Perfect" has attended more weddings than me. I'm kind of jealous. I love the food at those events.
Ed Sheeran has written a song for every stage of a romantic relationship, from falling in love, staying in love, thinking it can last forever, missing someone, and looking at an old photograph when nostalgia makes the decisions. And he's a ginger who looks like a teddy bear covered in tattoos. Naturally, the internet has plenty of material to work with. And lots of memes because Ed is so memeable. Give the internet an unusual photo of him looking awkward, and people will have memes for the next decade.
Say what you want, but give the man a guitar and a pedal, and he will produce enough sound for a stadium. He's not a global pop star for any reason. He can fill huge venues, even though his current tour is a subject of debate.