Ed Sheeran – Sing: New music

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Ed Sheeran does a lot of things well, but up until yesterday they consisted mainly of wearing a hoodie, strumming an acoustic guitar and looking like he'd shuffled into the limelight almost by accident. Things you can now add to that list after one play of his bold new single Sing include come-hither falsetto, the genuine ability to surprise and possibly the best Justin Timberlake impression this side of Justin Timberlake on The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2. Produced, almost inevitably, by Pharrell Williams, Sing – the first track to emerge form his second album, x – mixes elements of Like I Love You with the feel of 'N Sync's Girlfriend (both Pharrell productions), pairing Sheeran's acoustic riffs with big spacious drums, odd vocal yelps and that stop-start rhythm track that works so well. But while Pharrell's influence is writ large, there's enough of Sheeran there to prevent it coming across as horrible pastiche. Somehow – and scientists will have to look into this for decades to come – Sing also makes Ed Sheeran seem like a wild-eyed lothario rather than someone who might cry during sex. Miraculous.

Sing is out on 1 June.