Ed Sheeran is one of the most streamed artists of this era. Although Jay Z respectfully passed on laying down a guest verse on the singer’s Grammy Award-winning track “Shape Of You,” many artists would die to collaborate with him. Sheeran is a hit-making machine (with a few slated to be released after his death) and a media darling. However, in his latest interview with Rolling Stone, it doesn’t seem like that love is reciprocal.
When asked about the media, specifically music critics, in the age of streaming, his response was simple. “Why do you need to read a review? Listen to it. It’s freely available,” said Sheeran adding, “Make up your own mind. I would never read an album review and go, ‘I’m not gonna listen to that now.’”
To be fair that wasn’t the only spicy take he had during the sit-down. “I think there’s two genres. It’s good and bad,” he said. “And I don’t think kids believe in genres anymore, either.”
Sheeran added, “Now it’s just playlists, and kids are like, well, I like this song by this artist, and I like this song by that artist. And it might be a Skrillex song next to a Doja Cat song next to a Kendrick Lamar song.”
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
