Ed Sheeran's 'The A Team'

While most of pop is concerned with flashy lyrics and the biggest beats, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is quietly winning over fans with his melancholy ballad "The A Team" (Atlantic). Sheeran tells his gripping story of a troubled teen girl usually backed only with an acoustic guitar and the occasional chorus of voices. The simplicity and rawness works well, skills that already have landed him a collaboration with Taylor Swift and a spotlight at the Summer Olympics.