+ (Deluxe Version)

He has an acoustic guitar around his neck, but Ed Sheeran is as influenced by hip-hop as indie folk on his 2011 debut. The English singer/songwriter exudes authenticity on heartwarming ballads “Kiss Me” and “This,” then raps nimbly on “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” a swipe at the music industry’s hype machine. He also has a gift for tackling an issue—prostitution in “The A Team,” teenage pregnancy in “Small Bump”—and turning it into an affecting pop song.