Ed Sheeran showing up on 'American Idol' had all fans saying the same thing: "Why is no one..."
Renowned singing competition 'American Idol' is not only home to some talented music geniuses but also iconic judges like Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, who have a celebrated legacy of their own. However, there are some times when the judges have to take a leave of absence and are temporarily replaced by another singer. When Perry and Richie took part in the coronation celebration for King Charles III, the situation gave a window for multitalented Ed Sheeran to make his grand debut. The 'Perfect' singer made his appearance in Season 21, Episode 17, along with Alanis Morissette.
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With contestants crooning Sheeran's smash hit, the vibe was magical, but unfortunately, many fans were not impressed with his critique style, as they felt that he seemed quiet and gave only generic feedback. Not only that, fans also felt the actor acted like he was forced to be on the show. Sharing their opinions under a Reddit thread, a fan commented, "Why is no one talking about this?" He even stated that Disney preyed on his downfall, filing the doc and exploiting him! And his comments were all super bland, short, and generic. I hope he is okay. It seemed very much like he did NOT want to be there. We need to check in on him. While another said," "Ed Sheeran seemed less than enthused when they came back from the UK shot of Katy and Lionel with Charles and Camilla. Like most of us, he probably found it to be very cringe as well."
While Sheeran's generic remarks stir controversy among fans, the singer did have a ball of a time on the show. Sheeran not only danced on stage with but also praised Iam Tongi and Oliver Steele's rendition of his hit song 'Photograph,' as per AOL. Steele began with the gentle lyrics, "Loving can hurt / Loving can hurt sometimes," as Tongi harmonized along with him. The duo mesmerized the studio audience and judges with their bewitching performance, creating a great ambiance. Host Ryan Seacrest also asked Sheeran about his thoughts on the performance, to which he praised the duo. Sheeran said, "Just how well your voices complement each other. That was so beautiful to listen to; both your vocal tones fit so well with each other." Sheeran further added, “I got emotional listening to that; it was good,” acknowledging their powerful yet tender delivery.
On the professional front, Sheeran is all set to make his comeback, as the singer shared that his next album is finished in a conversation with Variety. The musician shared that he's already filmed two music videos with plans for two more early next year. Reflecting on his previous releases, he noted that 'Equals' that came out during the pandemic, and 'Subtract,' were both a different kind of record that "didn’t really call for big pop stuff." Sheeran further teased fans by saying, “It feels like I’m getting back into big pop for the first time in a long time," adding, “It’s quite exciting.”