Backlash against Ed Sheeran has intensified online after he addressed the genocide in Gaza during his first concert since Macklemore was dropped from his United States (US) tour over pro-Palestinian remarks.

Sheeran appeared to read his statement from a teleprompter while telling the Philadelphia crowd that he had made mistakes and apologising for them.

The singer said that he never wanted to become an “activist musician” but felt the controversy had placed him in the middle of a debate over free speech and the genocide in Palestine.

He described the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks as “horrific” and called the situation in Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.

Sheeran also said that he did not want his concert to be seen as an indication of where he stood on the conflict, adding that he had tried to keep his music separate from politics.

His comments drew criticism from social media users, with several focusing on his use of a teleprompter during the statement.

“Nothing says from the heart like Ed Sheeran needing a big screen to tell him how to feel,” one user wrote.

Another said, “speaking from a teleprompter and not from the heart – FAIL. Still doing ‘both sides’ – EPIC FAIL. The rest is null and void.”

“This is giving major ‘PR Control’ vibes. Bro is literally reading it off a hidden teleprompter on stage,” another user commented.

Some users also criticised Sheeran for describing the conflict as a humanitarian issue rather than directly using the word genocide. “Just say free Palestine,” one user wrote.

Another said, “No dude, its not just a humanitarian issue. It’s a deeply political issue where the people of Palestine are being systematically erased via this genocide.”

Others accused the singer of making the situation worse with his statement, with one person writing, “Omg he is making it worse”. “Called it everything but genocide,” another one pointed out.

Sheeran added during the concert that he was “deeply worried” about venues pre-approving content or performers and said that he did not know whether the tour would continue or whether he even wanted to remain an artist.

He also mentioned that he had returned to the stage because of his commitment to his fans and that his concerts would remain a place where people with opposing views could be together.