Ed Sheeran’s album, _+_, demolishes genre lines to the point where his music can only be described as a mix of folk with a healthy dose of pop and soul, but even that doesn’t do it justice.

A phenomenal guitarist, he constructs his tracks using guitar, bass and snare that produce up-tempo dance songs such as “Grade 8” and lulling melodies like “Kiss Me.” The album tells the story of Sheeran’s life pre-mainstream, when he was just a couch surfer barely getting by and when he experienced a shattering heartbreak. Oddly enough, the song that won the hearts of millions, “A Team,” tells the story of a young female prostitute struggling with drug addiction on the streets.

This album epitomizes what it is like to understand someone completely through one’s music. This red-haired lyrical mastermind is well on his way to defining a new genre of music, but for now, this up-and-coming genre can only be described very simply as “Ed Sheeran.”