Benny Blanco Praises Ed Sheeran’s ‘Average Joe’ Quality as ‘Relatable’ – ryan

Benny Blanco understands what makes Ed Sheeran so appealing.

In a new TIME100 cover story published on Wednesday, April 16, the producer, 37, detailed what makes the pop star so “relatable.”

“He sings sentences that we say all the time, but nobody ever puts them together like that in a song,” said Blanco, who is a longtime collaborator of Sheeran, 34.

He added: “The thing that makes him so good—and I’m in a similar spot—we’re just kind of like the average Joe that shouldn’t have really made it, but somehow we did. He has that humility and that insecurity, and I think that’s what makes him so relatable.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Blanco commented on how impressive it is that Sheeran can write songs so quickly.

“Normally, it takes me like a week to write a good song,” he said. “He does not leave the studio until he writes three songs in a day. It’s insane.”

According to the “Shape of You” hitmaker, he once penned eight songs in one day, including the No. 1 hit “Eastside,” which Blanco collaborated on with Halsey and Khalid.

Sheeran believes that “all of the best songs are written within a three-hour period.”

Recently, the Grammy winner leaned into his ability to go incognito, as he wore a gothic disguise to busk with Jimmy Fallon in a New York City subway

In the The Tonight Show episode which aired on April 8, Sheeran and Fallon, 50, introduced themselves as Frat Poison before performing a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”

For the track, they sported all-black with wigs, sunglasses and piercings.

While the “Perfect” musician strummed the guitar, the talk show host took on the tambourine amid a huge crowd.

Eventually, Fallon told the audience, “I’m Jimmy Fallon. This is Ed Sheeran right now!”

The pair then removed their disguises and performed a rendition of Shseeran’s new single “Azizam,” released April 4.

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Last month, during an interview with The Tonight Showthe “Photograph” artist unveiled the titles of his next five albums, which will all be related.

“When I was like 18, I had an idea for like 10 albums. It’s Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, Equalsand then Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind and Stop,” Sheeran explained.

The superstar’s next album will be called Play.