Ed Sheeran Flawlessly Performs Live Covers Of Coldplay, 50 Cent and Blackstreet

Mar 20, 2020 by apost team

English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran showed off his ability to play just about anything on guitar on a 2017 episode of The Howard Stern Show, covering 50 Cent, Coldplay and Blackstreet all in one live session.

The Grammy Award-winning artist, 29, is no stranger to covering the greats. Armed with simple acoustic guitar and his voice, the singer seems able to breath new life into anything he gets his hands on whether it's a throwback to Nina Simone’s Be My Husband or an update of a contemporary classic like Lorde’s Royals.

He even performed a live, uncut, acapella version of the traditional American folk song Wayfaring Stranger way back in 2011, which he uploaded onto his personal YouTube channel.

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Suffice it to say that Sheeran not only has a wide vocal range, but he is also able to play a variety of styles with seemingly little preparation. On a 2017 episode of The Howard Stern Show, a well-known radio show that began taping all the way back in the 1970s, Sheeran played three quick renditions of well-known tracks at host Howard Stern’s request.

“I’d beg you to do some cover versions because I think you do some really interesting takes on other people’s music,” Stern said.

Stern’s first request was perhaps the hardest and most unconventional of the three: rapper 50 Cent’s In da Club. For those who’ve never had the pleasure of listening to 50 Cent, his music is a far cry from what Sheeran normally plays — folksy, acoustic guitar music about love. On the other hand In da Club is a hip hop party starter with organ and horn sections.

But Stern seemed to recognize the challenge, saying that to him it seemed almost “impossible” to cover 50 Cent on acoustic guitar. Without skipping a beat, Sheeran begins playing almost immediately after Stern’s request. And surprisingly, Sheeran pulls it off. He doesn’t quite rap but sings quickly accompanied by his guitar, which he plays in staccato to mimic the original song’s beat.

After Sheeran’s impressive show of musical alchemy, Stern goes easier on Sheeran from there on out. The second song Stern requests is much more in line with Sheeran’s own music — Coldplay’s early aughts hit Yellow. In fact, Sheeran said that the first time he ever played the emotional acoustic ballad was with singer Chris Martin himself in Boston. Given his affinity for covers, it’s no surprise that Sheeran was more than able to put his own spin on the well-known track.

For the show’s final cover, Sheeran plays another unconventional cover of the American R&B group Blackstreet’s No Diggity, which Sheeran says he covered live on stage with Passenger while on a joint tour. Again, Sheeran doesn’t disappoint. Taking a similar approach as he did with the 50 Cent track, Sheeran plays his guitar in a staccato rhythm to replicate the original track’s heavy beat.

Even if you aren’t a Sheeran fan, he has an undeniable talent for transforming other musician’s music into his own. That’s not to mention that he has a successful career of his own with multiple awards and four studio albums to his name.

What do you think of Ed Sheeran’s performance on The Howard Stern Show? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this on to all the Ed Sheeran fans you know.