This single represents a departure from Ed Sheeran's loop-pedal folk roots, leaning heavily into the atmospheric R&B aesthetic that dominated the late 2010s.
The track is built on a foundation of crisp, snap-heavy percussion and warm, digital synths that create a sense of expensive isolation. It feels like a high-end production designed to sound intimate, balancing the sheen of a global hit with the groundedness of a personal diary entry. The sonic landscape is sleek and nocturnal, perfectly suited for the urban environments it critiques.
How does Beautiful People sound next to the rest of Ed Sheeran's catalogue?
The writing leans far further into social commentary than the rest of the catalogue.
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →