A lot of interesting tidbits came out of Billboard‘s 24-hour feature on Ed Sheeran. After all, they hung around the guy for a whole day. But none of them, to my mind, are as interesting as this: Ed Sheeran has never listened to Radiohead.
The facts came out while Sheeran was detailing the almost-as-weird fact that he doesn’t stream anything.
Via the piece:
“I don’t stream anything ever,” he says. “I don’t even really get it. I buy everything off iTunes or physically.” Which also explains how there’s lots of celebrated music that he still hasn’t encountered. “I’ve never listened to a Radiohead album, to be honest. I didn’t hear a Bruce Springsteen song until like two years ago, and now I f—ing love Springsteen. I didn’t hear Michael Jackson songs till I was 14. I like discovering things on my own. I want to have that moment of ‘holy shit,’ the moment of the epiphany.”
Now, I’m no stan for Thom Yorke or anything. If the Uproxx writers put together a wildly self-important bracket to find who likes Kid A the least, I’d probably make it to the final round. But I’ve at least listened.
Making matters worse, Sheeran is British. I’m pretty sure snippets of “How to Disappear Completely” play when they swipe their payment cards to get on the subway. The British thing gives him leeway with regards to The Boss and Michael, but Radiohead? Come on, Ed.
For more Sheeran, check out the interesting story behind his megahit “Thinking Out Loud.”
