How being music's Mr Nice Guy contributed to biggest crisis of Ed Sheeran's career
Ed Sheeran is facing a public relations crisis after dropping support act Macklemore from his US tour following the rapper's pro-Palestinian comments. The controversy challenges Sheeran's carefully cultivated 'nice guy' public image and his desire to keep his concerts free from political division.
Why it matters
This incident illustrates the difficulty high-profile artists face in maintaining a neutral public persona while navigating polarized political climates.
Figure caption, Will Ed Sheeran cancel his tour as support acts quit?
Music correspondent Published 40 minutes ago Singer Ed Sheeran is facing the biggest controversy of his career after a storm over a decision to drop support act Macklemore from his US stadium tour following the rapper's on-stage pro-Palestinian comments.
Sheeran is one of the most successful songwriters of all time. He has sold more than 120 million records and spent more than 1,000 weeks on the US album charts.
Part of his appeal - apart from those insidiously catchy songs - is his everyman persona. He looks and dresses like a fan on the train home from Glastonbury, rather than one of the festival's headliners.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in