x (Wembley Edition)

Sweet-voiced, baby-faced Ed Sheeran gets ambitious on his sophomore album. Working with multiple star producers and a stack of catchy hooks, he stretches out beyond his original acoustic hip-hop sound. Rick Rubin and Benny Blanco produce the rap-based hit "Don't," which spotlights Sheeran's Yorkshire accent. He shows off his falsetto on the ballad "One," which recalls Coldplay at its gentlest. Even more surprising are "Runaway," a rocker with layers of overdubbed Sheeran harmonies, and the polished soul ballad "Thinking Out Loud."