The genesis of a superstar: songs from Ed’s sofa-hopping era

Originally self-released in 2010 and partly written while sleeping rough outside Buckingham Palace, this EP shows Sheeran’s assured songcraft was in place long before major labels came calling. Fusing acoustic pop with hip-hop beats, “Sofa” and “One Night” contain two of his most unshakeable melodies. The latter is also an early sight of his endearing eye for detail, a song where love isn’t in grand statements but in sharing toothbrushes and being bought fires and cheese when you’re penniless.