Netizens crack up as Ed Sheeran responds “lol” to a negative review of his new single Azizam

Pop superstar Ed Sheeran is no stranger to chart-toppers or critiques, but his latest response to a harsh review might be his most iconic clapback yet—just two simple letters: “lol.” After a TikTok critic gave his new single, Azizam, a lyrical roasting, Sheeran chose to drop the ultimate Gen Z response that said everything and nothing at all.

The dismissive yet diplomatic “lol” quickly went viral, sparking a wave of memes, reactions, and debates about the song’s merit and the reviewer’s dramatic metaphors. When a review says your song is like a harmful drug and you just shrug it off with “lol,” you have either achieved Zen-level calm or divorced-dad energy. Either way, the internet was "living."

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One scathing review, one chill reply, and the internet spiraled — welcome to Ed Sheeran vs. Swiftologist

The digital streets were buzzing, and X (formerly Twitter) did what it does best: take a two-letter reply and spin it into meme-worthy commentary. Some fans, like @jps_aririah, rallied to Ed’s defense:

“The song is not even bad”

@szaseiji clocked his energy as unmistakably middle-aged and unbothered:

“Ed sheeran logging on with that divorced dad energy again”

Meanwhile, many users dragged the original reviewer—TikTok’s Swiftologist—for their particularly brutal taste:

“He hates everything. I’m convinced his taste is just spite” -@horejsiii

“He’s right.. floptologist tanked.” -@swiftiesmendess

Swiftologist’s viral rise even got some users, like @sarahbustani69 shook:

“Omg swiftologist you made it to pop crave 😭🙏🏻🥺”

But not everyone was giving Ed a win here. Some found the “lol” a bit weak or just plain out of touch:

“L Ed Sheeran” -@itsPampaa noted.

A fan brought up an interesting double standard—pointing out how women in pop rarely get to brush off criticism this lightly:

“And if a pop girl did that they would call her greedy” -@PCFponar15 wrote.

Whether you were Team Ed, Team Swiftologist, or just there for the chaos, one thing was clear: no one expected Azizam to spark this much discourse—and a literal "lol" made it all the more iconic.

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What’s the deal with Azizam, Swiftologist, and the TikTok chaos?

Azizam is Ed Sheeran’s latest single and part of a project that’s more global in flavor. The title itself is Persian, translating to “my dear,” and the song leans into romantic, almost lullaby-like vibes. It is not reinventing the musical wheel, but for fans, it delivers what they expect.

The controversy started when a Social media critic known as The Swiftologist—famous for fiery takes and obsessive Taylor Swift commentary—compared Azizam to heroin. Not as addictive, but as damaging. He also accused Ed of mailing it in and called the song, “what giving up sounds like.”

Rather than launching into a defensive rant or pulling up a classic celebrity move of deleting the app, Ed took a different route: typing “lol” in the comments and logging off like it was nothing but a mild breeze. His chill response, meanwhile, has sparked debates on how male artists are allowed to shrug off criticism, while women often face ten times the scrutiny.