The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

‘Thinking Out Loud’ falls flat

Ed Sheerans Thinking Out Loud reached the number two spot on both the Billboard and the Canadian Hot 100.
Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” reached the number two spot on both the Billboard and the Canadian Hot 100.

At first glance, Ed Sheeran’s single “Thinking Out Loud” appears to get a lot of things right. It avoids many popular music cliches, and the song does a lot to establish an identity of its own.

Unlike the majority of modern music, “Thinking Out Loud” does not put very much focus on its beat or on a brief, repetitive chorus. The song has a soft, instrumental beat that exists to compliment the song’s lyrics rather than overshadow them.

The song’s theme deals with the prospect of growing old with someone you love, and that theme has not often been explored in music as a whole.

“Thinking Out Loud” has a lot of unique aspects that should be working in its favor however for the most part the song fails to take advantage of those aspects.

The lyrics, for all the emphasis they get, do not stand out in any particular way. The lyrics are not bad; they just aren’t memorable, and despite the song’s interesting theme they fail to convey anything unique.

“Thinking Out Loud” seems to have received a lot of attention based solely on how different it is than other singles that are being released.

This does not mean that “Thinking Out Loud” is an entirely bad song. It is a love song that, unlike many other modern songs, makes no apologies for being a love song. “Thinking Out Loud” does not attempt to cover up its message with catchy lyrics or loud music.

I wanted to like “Thinking Out Loud.” It does many of the things I constantly say that modern music should do. However, if “Uptown Funk” is an example of how a formulaic song can still be different and interesting, then “Thinking Out Loud” is an example of how an interesting song can fail to take advantage of some of its best qualities.

3 / 5 stars

About the Contributor
Evan Davies, Staff Writer
Evan Davies is a sophomore high school journalism student. He enjoys running cross country in the fall and playing tennis in the spring. He enjoys movies and novels, and is passionate about journalism that involves these two subjects. @evandavies1999

Comments (0)

We invite comments and responses to our content. Comments that are deemed appropriate and relevant will be published.
All Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.
‘Thinking Out Loud’ falls flat