One of the biggest pop stars in the world Ed Sheeran did something many before him were hesitant to do: he admitted, well in advance, that he was hoping to transition from his current musical genre to country. In the past, artists like Beyonce, Darius Rucker, Steven Tyler and Bret Michaels threw fans a sudden curve by offering up a country music project, with varying degrees of success.
Sheeran is unique in that he's revealed his plans way ahead of time. On the "Call Me Daddy" podcast, the pop star admitted that a move to country was his ultimate goal. "Nashville is, like, my favorite city in the States. My end goal would be like, I'm gonna move to Nashville and transition to country." And once he does it, he says, he's committed. "I feel like I have to do it properly," Sheeran explains. "And I feel like once you transition to country, you can't transition back. Once you're there, you're there." He adds, "It's a genre you have to really respect. It's not just, dip in and out."
I remember seeing Ed as the opening act for Taylor Swift at the Colonial Life Arena in March 2013. I had no idea who he was, but remember being blown away by his talent. Taylor obviously started as country and went pop. He is doing the reverse. Interestingly I read an interview recently that Kenny Rogers gave decades ago explaining that he made the decision to switch to country from his earlier pop sound because the country fans are so loyal and come see you long after your last hit has played on the radio. Maybe Ed read that same interview.