Should you pay attention to reviews before deciding whether to listen to a new album? Pop superstar Ed Sheeran doesn't think so.

The Suffolk singer caused a stir this week when saying he didn’t think music critics were needed these days. 

Ed told Rolling Stone: "Why do you need to read a review? Listen to it. It’s freely available!

"Make up your own mind. I would never read an album review and go, ‘I’m not gonna listen to that now'."

Sheeran kick-started his career in Norwich, winning Future Radio's Evening News-sponsored Next Big Thing competition in 2008 and playing gigs at the Arts Centre, where he met artist manager Rick Lennox. 

Norwich Evening News: Ed Sheeran won Future Radio's Next Big Thing competition in 2008, which was run in association with the EDP and Evening NewsEd Sheeran won Future Radio's Next Big Thing competition in 2008, which was run in association with the EDP and Evening News (Image: Newsquest)

Rick, who is currently Epic Studios’ live music manager, said: "Ed has a point, I never go off reviews as I like to make my own mind up.

"However, good reviews gain you publicity and it’s more likely that a developing artist will get noticed more by promoters, record companies and television."

Rick met Ed in 2009 when the singer had finished his studies at Access to Music and was playing small gigs in the city.

He added: "He mustn’t forget that these new artists, they do need positive reviews. 

"For artists like him it really doesn’t matter, but when it’s a newer band who are trying to follow in the footsteps of Ed, then whether you like it or not it’s important that you get noticed and the way to get noticed is by people writing about you and talking about you."

Norwich Evening News: Ed Sheeran performing outside The Forum in Norwich in 2009Ed Sheeran performing outside The Forum in Norwich in 2009 (Image: Newsquest)

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Casey Cooper-Fiske, music critic for the Evening News, took a harsher view. 

He said: "I think Sheeran’s comments on critics are an example of a big artist with more money than talent pulling up the drawbridge behind him and attempting to stop music being a democratic art form. 

"Music critics add context and cultural value to works helping listeners to understand the music they are listening to."