Explanation: Per the last across entry, the five mystery songs are all on the "List of songs recorded by Ed Sheeran"; each of the clues in the grid is the title renamed, so to speak. In order: "Afterglow," "Get Over It," "I Don't Care," "Nina" (which you probably didn't need the Wikipedia page for!), and "Gold Rush"; the initial letters spell AGING, and I'm certainly doing that on my birthday weekend. (And every weekend, so I'm told.)
KayW 🤓13:38 · about 2 months ago
A very Happy Birthday to you and Ed! Puntastic cluing as always. When I found all the songs, I quickly scanned that list - so helpfully mentioned at 68 across - to make sure there was not one sneaky last step before submitting. Thanks for the fun - nicely done. Especially for someone 127 years old ;)
Ah! I got NINA by googling "Nina Song". THen knowing what to do I got AFTERGLOW right away but couldn't get the rest at all. Backsolving a guess I got GOLD rush by I didn't get the rest of them
I didn't see the comment until now! I got 5/7. MYHAN
Oh, now I see below, haha. Commencement, is that one of hers? Something like that for the C. Not sure for the T!
HoldThatThought 🤓2:55 · about 1 month ago
Coming Around Again, a Top 20 in the US and Top 10 in several European markets, and That's The Way I Always Heard It Should Be, her very first single, and, in fact, the opening track on her debut album. Unhappy marriages and divorce, miserable lives, a male dominated relationship - how cheery for a first release!
HoldThatThought 🤓2:55 · about 1 month ago
I've Heard...
markhr 🤓3:26 · about 1 month ago
MY CHANT? At least I know who the artist is.
HoldThatThought 🤓2:55 · about 1 month ago
Correct. Best I could do in 40 seconds, and, honestly, despite her talent, she hasn't been a prolific singles artist. Thanks for thinking it out!
markhr 🤓3:26 · about 1 month ago
Carly hasn't been the most prolific hitmaker, but her best works have been exceptional. I still listen to "Anticipation" and "That's the Way..." 50 years on and they still sound great.
Bbaack 18:11 · about 2 months ago
Thanks for indulging one of my "Bad Habits" (weekend metas)! This one was "Perfect"!
Yeah, definitely one where backsolving is fine. He's a pretty solid songwriter, actually! While it got overplayed, I thought "Thinking Out Loud" was such a beautiful song - my mom loves "Castle on the Hill." There's a maturity in his songwriting, for sure, that I can appreciate!
I got WAY off on a rabbit hunt. I had AFTER GLOW and NINA immediately but then got MOVE ON for TIMETOMOVEON (yeah I know, too facile) and then got DRUNK for EVENTTOFINDABAR and into an AMEND death spiral. Well you don't AMEND on your birthday but you might AMEND a song name so it must be one more song that is "amended", yeah that's it, let's see:
GET OVER IT - NOPE
END GAME - NOPE
BE RIGHT NOW - NOPE
Darn it, why can't I do this....
But wait, what if my song "replacement" is wrong. TIMETOMOVEON could be GET OVER IT, and then I have AG?N?...could that be AGING? Let's see, EVENTTOFINDABAR could reasonably be GOLDRUSH and WHATEVERYOUWANT could certainly be I DON'T CARE and then AGING is the thing Mikey will do (I won't, I gave that up, but you youngsters are welcome to keep on doing it)