The Clip That Started It All

The video, titled simply “Ed Sheeran – School Talent Show 2007”, shows a teenage Ed sitting on a stool at what appears to be a school auditorium in Framlingham, Suffolk. Wearing a faded hoodie, jeans, and Converse sneakers, young Ed strums his acoustic guitar and sings a heart-wrenching original track, now believed to be an early version of what would later evolve into “The A Team.”

The grainy video captures the moment he hits a haunting falsetto note — and the audience goes silent.

“He Was Born For This”

The comments under the video (which has gained 3.2 million views in 48 hours) are filled with stunned reactions:

“This is like watching Van Gogh draw with sidewalk chalk.”
— @MusicSoul1992

“He had it even back then. Goosebumps!”
— @Ruthie4Ed

“This made me cry. He was already Ed Sheeran before the world knew it.”
— @LofiMoon

 Ed Responds

Shortly after the video went viral, Ed Sheeran himself commented on the post via his official Instagram Story:

“Wow. I haven’t seen this in years. That guitar cost £40 and my voice cracked halfway through the second verse. But that was the night I knew I wanted this forever.”

 From Pub Gigs to Packed Stadiums

In the years after that video, Ed famously couch-surfed across London, playing open mics, recording homemade EPs, and building a cult following on YouTube before breaking through with 2011’s “+” album.

Today, he’s one of the best-selling music artists of all time — but clearly, the soul and heart were always there.

 A Reminder of Humble Beginnings

In an era of overproduction and studio polish, this video reminds fans of a truth they’ve always known about Ed:

He’s not famous because he became Ed Sheeran.

He became Ed Sheeran because he always was.