Could Sheeran have handled it better when the controversy blew up? Absolutely.
In his statement, he said he wanted to continue the tour, to avoid letting down fans and the crew who rely on his concerts to make a living.
If he had threatened to pull the plug on the shows, he could have framed it as a protest for free speech – although that would still inevitably have been interpreted as an endorsement of Macklemore’s statements.
So, Sheeran stumbled into a Catch 22 situation. He was damned either way.
His nice guy image has taken a huge dent, and the “not my responsibility” tone of his statement certainly didn’t help.
Ingold says: “I think it will change the way people look at him and see him from this point forward.
“He has said he’s not complicit, but he actually is incredibly complicit in what’s happening [on this tour].”
Jem Aswad, executive music editor of Variety, says the episode shows “you can’t be neutral on this issue” – but points out that most people don’t go to Sheeran’s concerts to be reminded of issues like Gaza, “they go there to stop thinking about it and be entertained”.
Aswad doubts that this controversy will cause his career major damage, saying he doesn’t think most of the criticism “is necessarily coming from Ed Sheeran’s fans”.
“It’s coming from people who object to the way that he’s behaved in this [situation], and I’m not sure a lot of those people are really Ed Sheeran’s fans.”
We’ll find out when Sheeran plays his next show in Philadelphia on Saturday. A vocal contingent might make their thoughts known, but many will just be turning up to enjoy the music.
The loss of his backing band isn’t the disaster it may seem, either.
On previous tours, Sheeran has been the only artist on stage – accompanying himself on a loop pedal instead of relying on other musicians.
But once this run of concerts ends in Mexico this December, his next steps will have to be carefully planned.
Perhaps, in an age of febrile discontent, staying above the fray is simply impossible.