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Ed Sheeran is undeniably facing the biggest crisis of his career to date.
Long considered pop’s golden boy, Sheeran, 35, has enjoyed a pretty blemish-free career for more than a decade, but a contentious political scandal has left a stain on his reputation. For how long it remains, though, is the burning question.
It all kicked off with the September 4 and 5 shows on Sheeran’s Loop Tour in New Jersey, when opening act Macklemore performed his song Hind’s Hall in support of Palestine, condemning Israel’s military force in Gaza.
Criticism against Macklemore, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, began stirring and reached global attention when pop star Pink, who is Jewish, publicly called the Thrift Shop rapper out for his controversial speech.
Macklemore, 43, then announced that he had been removed from the tour, sharing a lengthy statement via Instagram in which he claimed Sheeran had been contacted by stadium bosses and told that the tour could not continue to go ahead with the rapper still attached to it as an opener. In solidarity with Macklemore, all four of the tour’s support acts dropped out.
Sheeran eventually broke his silence and explained that the decision to remove Macklemore was out of his hands and with stadium bosses, notably Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft. The Shape of You singer added that he is ‘appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine’ and that the ‘suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy.’
He has also donated at least $1million to humanitarian aid.
However, for all Sheeran’s efforts in making amends, the criticism has been extremely loud, with even other celebrities, such as Paloma Faith and Roger Waters, publicly slamming him.
It seems no matter what move he makes, Sheeran will struggle to appease all sides. So, how on Earth does the man once known as music’s most humble crooner even begin to repair his image?
‘You’d be forgiven for thinking he made a colossal error by releasing the statement, but I actually think that’s grossly unfair,’ argued Paul MacKenzie Cummins, reputation management and personal branding at Clearly PR.
Speaking to Metro, he continued: ‘If he had issued a shorter, more concise statement, that would have failed to communicate the gravity of the situation and the enormity of the dilemma that he was facing. Because this was not just about him; this was about everyone in his support network – we’re talking hundreds of people who rely and depend on their livelihood from tours like this going ahead.
‘I think he actually handled it well despite what the critics are saying.’
Sheeran has typically positioned himself as an apolitical artist despite being vocal about certain causes such as Ukraine and Black Lives Matter in the past. While crisis expert Paul believes it would be an ‘abandonment of what part of his brand has been about’ to start speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict, he does feel that Sheeran should have had greater awareness of Macklemore’s very public pro-Palestinian stance.
‘I think there’s a degree of naivety on Ed Sheeran. The reality is, whoever you bring on tour with you, they to a degree are going to be a reflection of your own personal brand and he should have known,’ he said.
‘There does seem to be a disconnect, certainly a lack of communication to actually manage expectations on both sides. Macklemore also had the responsibility to say, “This is what I say in my performances now; how do you feel about that? Will this go down well with your audience?”’
Many critics have taken issue with Sheeran putting the onus on tour promoters for the decision to axe Macklemore from the tour, but Paul strongly refutes the idea that he was ‘trying to pass the blame.’
Megan Dooley, PR expert and head of branding at TAL Agency, disagrees and argues that ‘passing the buck doesn’t fly with people now.’
She told us: ‘From a PR perspective, there’s a case for both sides; he’s going to lose popularity either way.
‘He’s going to need to put his hands up and admit he’s messed up a bit because staying neutral has not protected him. People aren’t mad at him because he’s got no opinion – people are having a pop because he took an action that looked like he’d chosen a side in dropping Macklemore, but then he was like, “I’ve not picked a side”. Well, you have through your actions.
‘His actions and his statements need to line up. It’s that inconsistency – not his neutrality.’
The Loop Tour is expected to resume on Saturday night in Philadelphia, despite increasing debate over whether it should be cancelled and fans refunded. Replacement support acts have not been announced, and there’s been no mention from the singer’s team on what ticket-holders can expect in light of recent developments. If it does go ahead, all eyes and ears will be pricked to see whether Sheeran chooses to address the furore or ignore it and focus on the music.
But what should he do?
‘I don’t think there’s any harm in giving a nod to what’s happened, making a reference to it at the top of the show after the first or second song. If he is going to say anything, he’s got to keep it short, sweet, very simple and just crack on. The message has to be positive,’ Peter suggested.
Megan agreed that the show must go on: ‘He doesn’t necessarily need to stop performing and disappear from the spotlight; he just needs to handle it properly, or he’s going to get himself into more problems in the future.
‘He’s not done anything hugely offensive, but he’s just failed to be consistent and communicate. People have done far worse, but it’s all about being genuine now. He’s got the popularity to survive it; it’s just how he handles it.’
‘Screams will subside,’ Peter stated, making clear that he doesn’t feel Sheeran’s reputation is in tatters.
‘He’s Ed Sheeran for Christ’s sake,’ Peter stated. ‘It’s going to take a lot more than this to knock him off wherever he is right now. His future reputation is assured.’
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