Ed Sheeran’s first studio album was titled +, pronounced “Plus.” Released in 2011, it was his major-label debut and introduced the mathematical-symbol naming pattern that continued through several of his later albums.
The album was released in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2011, through Asylum and Atlantic Records. It included songs that had already helped establish Sheeran, such as “The A Team,” as well as later singles including “Lego House” and “Drunk.” The record combined acoustic songwriting, pop, folk, hip-hop influences, and looping-based arrangements.
A common source of confusion is Sheeran’s earlier independent work. Before +, he released EPs and an early self-made collection called Spinning Man, but + is generally identified as his first studio album and official debut. The symbols =, ÷, x, −, and the later Autumn Variations belong to subsequent releases. In the album title, the plus sign is conventionally written as “+,” while “Plus” is its spoken name.