What is Ed Sherman’s stance? Why is he being unfollowed?

What Sheeran actually said

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Sheeran responded to the backlash, saying it was "important that I set out some facts." His core argument had two parts. First, the decision to remove Macklemore, Sheeran said, came after venues said they would pull future shows if they included Macklemore. Second, he said that Macklemore asked to join his tour and he agreed, because he respected him as an artist, and that as with all his support acts, he agreed they could play a setlist of their choosing. The implication was that he bore no ill will toward Macklemore and had no political motive. Although Sheeran insisted he is "not complicit" in the controversy and that it was not his decision to drop Macklemore, he has been met with massive backlash over his apolitical stance.

The statement did not land well. After what commentators called a very ill-advised PR statement, which did more damage to Sheeran's brand than anything else, and all of his opening acts quitting in solidarity with Macklemore, he faced a reputation-staining backlash. Commentators called him "spineless" and a "lowlife coward"; former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters dismissed him as a "prick"; and Massive Attack reminded Sheeran that "'Neutrality' in the face of the slaughter of more than 20,000 children can never be neutrality."

The unfollow numbers

The social fallout is measurable. In the day since Macklemore announced he had been dropped, Sheeran lost nearly 150,000 Instagram followers, while during the same 24-hour period Macklemore gained over 750,000. The gap in how their respective statements landed tells the same story: Sheeran's statement, posted to his 47.3 million followers, was liked 544,000 times, while Macklemore's statement, shared to his 7.9 million followers, was liked 6.9 million times.

Beyond fans, artists who have a direct connection to Sheeran have also moved. Members of global girl group Katseye unfollowed Sheeran on Instagram, with members Manon, Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae all stopping to follow him, while Lara and Megan also liked a post Macklemore shared after he was dropped. The detail that makes this pointed is the prior relationship: Sheeran co-wrote Katseye's third EP, "Animal," released in July, after he became a fan of the group and reached out to collaborate.

His music has also been pulled from a major Irish radio station. Ireland is significant here, given that Beoga, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham all invoked Irish and European sensibilities in their own exit statements, and Sheeran's relationship with Ireland has historically been one of the warmest parts of his public identity.

The underlying tension is simple: Sheeran's argument is structural, that venues hold the power and left him no room. His critics' argument is moral, that a man with his platform always has room, and choosing not to use it is itself a choice.