Ed Sheeran may be best known for softer music, but this ’90s baby was clearly also a fan of the louder rock that dominated his youth. He recently performed “Million Miles Away” on stage with The Offspring and mentioned that Conspiracy of One was the first album he ever bought. (“I used to pretend to be in their band in the mirror and sing along to the album when I was 9,” he said.) It might’ve seemed like an unexpected move for Ed, who also happens to currently be way more popular than The Offspring, but it didn’t stop there. The superstar joined Limp Bizkit at Netherlands festival Pinkpop on Sunday (6/23) for their cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes,” which Limp Bizkit had a big hit with in 2003. (It also happened to be one day after Limp Bizkit’s 1999 sophomore album Significant Other turned 25.) “Behind Blue Eyes” may not technically be a Limp Bizkit song, but Ed at least knows how to play one of their originals, as he did a short acoustic rendition of “Break Stuff” during a comedy skit on Fallon back in 2015.
Ed also did a less surprising collaboration with Hozier at Pinkpop, but now we’re wondering, will Ed continue showing up with ’90s / early 2000s rockers? He’ll cross paths with The Offspring again (and Rise Against) at Frequency Festival, and he plays Rock In Rio shortly after Avenged Sevenfold, Evanesence, and Incubus play the same fest. Beyond that, will he find his way to blink-182 or Green Day tours this year? (He’s already met both.) Will he link up with Slipknot and bring some of that Ed Sheeran flavor to “Wait and Bleed”? We already know he grew up listening to them too and Corey Taylor thinks he’s cool too. If you’re reading this, Ed, you may want to know there’s a big Creed tour coming up too. Or it may interest you that Stone Temple Pilots are on the road. Goo Goo Dolls have a bunch of shows coming up. And it’ll be your last chance to join Sum 41 before they break up in January. So many options!
Meanwhile, as popular as Ed Sheeran remains, word on the street is that Chappell Roan had a bigger crowd than him at Boston Calling the day he headlined. He seems chill about it though. He said that Elton John sent him Chappell’s album (no big deal), “and I love it, really admire everything she’s achieving and can’t wait to hear more !”