Kyndall Cunningham - Yahoo News -- Ed Sheeran
Sun, July 4, 2021, 5:02 AM·6 min read
Last Friday, British pop star Ed Sheeran released “Bad Habits,” the first single from his forthcoming album Minus. The song, which is on track to debut at No. 1 on the U.K. charts, is a strong contender for this year’s song of the summer. But the earworm has already earned Sheeran familiar accusations of theft.
Lyrically and musically the song is nothing special, but “Bad Habits” marks a diversion from the musician’s acoustic-driven, dancehall-inspired repertoire into the ever-popular genre of dance-pop. The simultaneous release of its music video also signaled an aesthetic shift for Sheeran, who’s been both admired and ridiculed for his effortless, guy-next-door flannel-and-jeans style over the years. The lurid, high-concept video, directed by Dave Myers, features the singer in the role of a vampire flying and rampaging about town with his other fanged, punk peers in Bowie-esque glittery eye makeup, acrylic claws, blue contacts, and a hot pink suit.
Soon after the video’s release, however, viewers on Twitter began drawing comparisons to The Weeknd’s highly cinematic After Hours era, in which the Canadian R&B/pop singer embodied a nameless antihero in a bold red suit during his live performances, red carpet appearances, and music videos.
“Damn… After Hours already got sons?? It’s only been a year,” said one user in a reply to the video.
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