Rod Stewart gives withering take on Ed Sheeran’s music

‘Maggie May’ rocker said he doesn’t know any of the ‘Shape of You’ hitmaker’s catalogue

Rod Stewart has given a withering assessment of Ed Sheeran’s music while discussing modern hitmakers.

The legendary rocker has been a stalwart of British music since the 1970s, with a wealth of hits such as “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “I Don’t Wanna Talk About It”.

In a new interview with The Times, Stewart, 79, was asked his opinion on whether there were any songs being created today that would prove as timeless as his.

After namechecking his own 1971 hit “Maggie May”, Stewart attempted to suggest other songs and artists that could similarly stand the test of time.

“I like whatshisname. Oh f***ing great, Rod. Well done,” he began, as he tried to remember the name of the artist.

“He’s British, really talented and his songs will be around. Erm…”

When journalist Jonathan Dean suggested Sheeran as the mystery artist, Stewart rejected the thought, saying: “No, not Ed, I don’t know any of his songs, old ginger b****cks. Jesus…”

Rod Stewart and Ed Sheeran (Getty)

Eventually, George Ezra was revealed to be the musician in Stewart’s mind after singing the lyrics to his 2019 smash, “Shotgun”.

“I think he writes really tremendous songs. He’ll be around for quite a while,” Stewart stated.

Despite not having a clear fan in Stewart, Sheeran is one of the world’s best-selling musical artists, having sold more than 150 million records globally.

Elsewhere in the interview, published on Friday (9 February), Stewart discussed the abandonment of his support for the Conservative Party after many years of being a Tory supporter.

When asked whether he believed that it was time for a change in the country’s leadership, Stewart said: “Keir Starmer and Labour deserve a crack at it. If there was anyone else we could vote for, then maybe, but they should be given a shot.

“I live here [in the UK] now. I didn’t used to. And I see what the Conservatives get up to.”

Only last year, the rocker admitted that he was still a fan of Boris Johnson despite “Partygate”. Turning his attention to the former Prime Minister, Stewart continued: “Well, I liked Boris Johnson. He was a good figurehead, but he turned out to be a lying f***ing public schoolboy. He got found out and things haven’t been much better since.

“How many prime ministers have we had that haven’t been voted for? What’s all that about?”

Stewart will soon release an album of big band covers with musician and TV host Jools Holland, and his orchestra, titled Swing Fever.