The magic of Ed Sheeran is his authenticity.

A 10-minute timer illuminated the stage at SoFi Stadium just minutes past 8 p.m. Saturday, and 81,000 people erupted in cheers. Even before he took the stage, the love between Sheeran and his fans pulsated throughout the arena.

As the 10-second countdown began, the stage elevated — slowly revealing Sheeran who stood alone on the stage with a guitar in hand, wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans.

Sheeran dove straight into the music, performing “Tides” and “BLOW,” two upbeat tracks from his “Equals” album and “No.6 Collaborations Project,” respectively.

Amid the screaming crowd, Sheeran addressed his audience, explaining his terms for the show: Everything he performed would be looped live on the spot, making each venue’s setlist unique. It is in this way that only Sheeran could make a performance for a crowd of 81,000 feel unique — he chooses to be the singer-songwriter holding a guitar and performing live under any circumstances.

Part of Sheeran’s appeal is his ability to single-handedly hold an audience’s attention. Whether Sheeran was running around the rotating stage singing “Shivers” or sitting down for the opening of “End Of Youth,” the audience’s attention stayed glued to him on the fluorescent stage, which mimicked his various album designs and colors.

The set design of the show was well-integrated with the performance, yet did not overpower Sheeran’s presence. Four screens at every corner of the stage displayed live footage of Sheeran, and monitors above the stage projected moving images associated with the songs.

This double narrative enhanced the atmosphere of the show, but it was Sheeran’s personal commentary that provided the heartbeat to the performance.

Before performing his fifth track, “The A Team,” Sheeran paused for a moment of exposition. He told the audience about his experience writing the song as an 18-year-old, certain that it was the one piece that would propel his career. He went through many performances with no one caring about the music, but the song slowly gained popularity. He performed the song on the “Mathematics” Tour with his eyes closed, imagining himself as an 18-year-old again — only this time, 81,000 people sang along with him, their phone cameras illuminating the dark stadium.

It was moments like these, scattered throughout the performance, that reaffirmed Sheeran’s authenticity and his genuine joy of making music.

Sheeran’s setlist was a comfortable balance between heartfelt, emotional ballads and upbeat hit songs. From his “Subtract” album, Sheeran performed both “Boat” and “End Of Youth.” Sheeran’s grappling with grief and the finality of life were present in both the lyrics and his heart-wrenching tone.

Yet, from these songs, he was able to switch to the upbeat and fast-paced “Galway Girl” mid-set. He then proceeded to perform songs that “your grandparents know,” singing some of his biggest hits, including “Thinking Out Loud,” “Sing,” “Photograph” and “Perfect.” The tone of the show mellowed with “Afterglow” as the lighting on stage dimmed and golden bubbles were projected on screen, floating upward like the dying embers of a flame.

Sheeran and the stage slowly descended under the floor with the final chords of “Afterglow,” only to reemerge moments later, with Sheeran wearing a jersey with “Autumn Variations” inscribed on the back — the title of his next album.

Sheeran spontaneously performed two songs from the album, which releases Sept. 29. The songs, titled “American Town” and “Plastic Bag,” are respectively tracks six and four on the new album, which centers around 14 of Sheeran’s friends and the changes in their lives. 

The groundedness of Sheeran’s artistic inspiration, which has carried him through six studio albums thus far, is exactly what makes him a captivating musician and performer.

The final song of his show was “Bad Habits,” which Sheeran performed to a screaming stadium as he encouraged everyone to jump at the chorus and sing as loudly as possible. At the final line, pyrotechnics illuminated the stage as Sheeran stood to the applauding crowd and bid everyone a farewell.

On his way offstage, Sheeran made it a point to shake hands and greet fans, cementing not only his music as a staple for pop culture, but also his genuine personality.

In a little over two hours, Sheeran took the audience through a musical analysis of grief and loss in life, while also creating a heightened “feel-good” environment through his upbeat, fast-paced repertoire.

While Sheeran may admit in his lyrics that understanding life is a layered and complex undertaking, his music navigates both the highs and lows with a seeming effortlessness and truth. Sheeran sings about love and loss, friends and loneliness. He examines his own life throughout every moment of his music, whether he is the 18-year-old performing “The A Team” for the first time or the 32-year-old breaking stadium records.   

Sheeran’s concert leaves the audience feeling full after the experience — happiness, sadness, confusion and excitement all mold together in his music. It’s hard not to smile when realizing that one man with a single guitar could have so many questions and answers at the same time.