“Are You Entertained” by Russ & Ed Sheeran

The title of this song (“Are You Entertained”) was of course derived from that unforgettable “are you not entertained” moment in Gladiator as recited by Russell Crowe. This is verified considering that self-same sample serves as the vocal intro to this track.

But that established, the rest of the song does not have anything to do with that quote in context. Instead, most simply explained what we’re dealing with here is an exercise in braggadocio. And how the title comes into play is that more specifically, the vocalists are largely addressing the likes of haters. 

So basically, they’re throwing all of their accomplishments in the face of such individuals and asking “are you entertained”. Or viewed from a different angle, it’s like what else do they have to do to get respect from adversaries? Or put differently yet again, they’re delineating their achievements in the name of making adversaries even more jealous.

But at the same time, it should be noted that there’s a sense of humility – for lack of a better word – also permeating throughout. Indeed judging by the conclusion of Sheeran’s verse, it sounds almost as if he is letting a specific challenger(s) know that they may be able to talk smack in their ‘hood, but come to London where Ed is king and see how it goes. 

And in the bridge, Russ interestingly puts forth that he’s ‘never selling his soul’, a sentiment that seems to be increasingly expressed by hip-hop artists, in the name of asserting that even if they’re rich and famous they are not sellouts. 

In Conclusion

With that in mind, in the grand scheme of the lyrics, it isn’t all about braggadocio but rather the vocalists asserting that in their does come-up – which as it currently stands appears to have no end – they’re dedicated to keeping it real.

Jamal Edwards

The music video to Are You Entertained was directed by Jake Nava. This came about in the aftermath of its originally-intended director, Jamal Edwards, passing away. Edwards (1990-2022) may not be someone most of us outside of the UK ever heard of. However, he was successful and connected enough that even Prince Charles himself memorialized his passing. And accordingly the video served as a tribute to Jamal.

Release of “Are You Entertained”

This song has a release date of 22 July 2022. Despite it being mainly a Russ project, he and Sheeran share equal billing on the track.

Credits

Russ and Sheeran co-wrote “Are You Entertained” with Fred Again, the British musician who also produced the track.

The Collaboration

Ed Sheeran, despite being an A+ list singer, boasts an admirably-diverse collaboration history.

This is the first time he’s teamed up with Russ, who appears to be the only White rapper currently trending from Atlanta (though he was raised in different parts of the country).