Ed Sheeran Calls it
'The Best Love Song' of His Career
By Aaron Wulff
Make fun of Ed Sheeran all you want. The short stature, the pale legs, the red mop, the Game of Thrones cameo, the adorable “rapping” on his songs…
What’s undeniable is that if there’s a Wedding Song Hall of Fame somewhere, Ed Sheeran is in it. He’s the human jukebox of popular love songs.
One Brides.com article even boasts the “19 Best Ed Sheeran Love Songs to Play at Your Wedding.” I’m not sure I played 19 songs in total at my wedding. But let’s give credit where credit is due, and look at one of his signature wedding songs.
Sheeran wrote “Perfect” for his girlfriend, Cherry Seaborn, but told BBC Radio 2 that he wasn’t sure if she actually liked the track. “I just recorded it and sent it because she was living in New York at the time so I didn’t see her reaction. I think she liked it, it’s a good’un.”
It’s a good’un for sure, and it frequently makes the list of top first dance wedding songs. Sheeran even called it “the best song of my career.” (Wait, even better than “Drunk” or “Lego House?!” Let’s not be hasty)
Sheeran claims he got inspired to write the chorus dancing on James Blunt’s lawn in Ibiza, which sounds like a magical place that only exists in a Madlibs notepad.
“Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song, which happened to be Future’s “March Madness“… I booked the studio for the day, and I had that and I was like, right, let me just flesh that out. And the song happened and was sort of finished that day. I knew it was special.”
So is it actually “perfect?”
The song starts with Sheeran’s vocals and guitar strumming, then gradually adds a mix of other instrumentation that results in a fuller orchestral arrangement.
The beat is steady and easy to follow throughout the 4 minutes and 23 seconds. There’s even a nifty instrumental outro that you can see coming from a mile away, making it good for any ending choreography or poses you want to strike.
Before you get too excited about this one, note that “Perfect” is a waltz which will limit your options if you’re doing choreography and drops its danceability score. If you’re working with an instructor ask about doing a slow waltz box or a canter box (Slow-Quick-Slow). Avoid getting roped into dancing a Viennese Waltz unless you’re up for a serious challenge.
“Perfect” also offers up an alternate version featuring Beyoncé that is nearly identical to the original when it comes to danceability, so consider them interchangeable for our purposes.
Whether you’re rocking out on James Blunt’s lawn or looking for a solid first dance song, rest assured this one delivers a “perfect” blend of strong passion and intimate lyrics.
Get the free Wedding Dance Cheat Sheet
Keep Reading
