Ed Sheeran Debuts Official Version Of “Take It Back”: Listen To Him Rap Through His Life Story
A few months ago, Ed Sheeran performed a song called “Take It Back” in one take. He kicks it off by offering full disclosure – “I’m not a rapper, I’m a singer with a flow” – but then proceeds to spit almost entirely throughout his acoustic guitar rhythm, save for when he belts through his hook. The studio version of the x deluxe edition track, premiered June 21 on MTV, doesn’t sound much different from when he debuted it. That’s more than fine – it’s impressive as is.
Throughout, Sheeran traces through his moments of his past, like moving out of his parents’ house at age 16 and sleeping at places that weren’t his: “I went from sleeping at a subway station to sleeping with a movie star.” (As with “Don’t,” Sheeran refuses to kiss and tell.) And like in other songs from x, like “The Man” and “Sing,” Sheeran raps almost as if it’s a nervous tick. “Take It Back” is a flurry of both self-deprecating and self-congratulatory rhymes, making it seem as if his head is spinning.
How does “Take It Back” compare to other x songs that Sheeran’s previewed so far? Below, hear his new song and revisit other songs he’s previewed from his new album.
Ed Sheeran’s x — tracklist: 1. One 2. Mess 3. Sing 4. Don’t 5. Nina 6. Photograph 7. Bloodstream 8. Tenerife 9. Runaway 10. The Man 11. Thinking Out Loud 12. Afire Love Deluxe tracks: 1. Take It Back 2. Even My Dad Does Sometimes 3. Shirtsleeves 4. I See Fire
[via MTV]
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