Artists everywhere have been quaking in fear for the return of Ed Sheeran to the charts after the critical and commercial success of his third studio album, ÷, and its hit single, “Shape of You.” When he announced that his fourth studio album, titled No.6 Collaborations Project, would consist solely of songs with all-star features, everyone began quaking just a little bit more. Now, it’s out there in full, and if a lineup of appearances from the likes of Young Thug, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, and H.E.R. wasn’t enough to convince you — the tracks are bangers.
The undisputed bop of the album is Sheeran’s collab with Travis Scott, “Antisocial.” The beat is very un-Sheeran, all things considered, sounding like the love child of “Sicko Mode” and a Days Before Rodeo-era hit on Scott’s end. Fans of Sheeran’s original indie-pop crooning will likely find themselves with little to enjoy, but that’s all well and good considering that “Antisocial” opens up a door to a trap-pop genre that Sheeran has yet to explore in depth. We have to talk about the elephant in the room, though: the music video.