“Perfect” is told from 1st person point of view by a male singer, which does not comply with the Radway model of focusing on a heroine.
“Darling just dive right in/And follow my lead”–The hero tells the heroine to follow his lead, which connects to some qualities of Radway’s ideal romance hero, such as being independent, demanding, and experienced in relationships. The man is the more dominant partner in the couple.
In this narrative, the hero and heroine never act antagonistically towards each other. They are in love from beginning to end, with no conflict ever occurring. This does not match up with the plot structure of Radway’s ideal romance, in which the hero and heroine do not get along before realizing they are attracted to each other.
“We were just kids when we fell in love/Not knowing what it was/I will not give you up this time”–The hero mentions how “this time” will be different, meaning that he may have hurt his love interest in the past. However, he blames his naivety for his previous actions. This is similar to how the heroines in Radway’s sample of romance novels learn that the hero is not really a jerk, but had issues in the past that caused his cruel actions.
“When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath/You heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight”–Here, the heroine of the song is unaware of her own beauty, and needs a reminder from the hero of her true sexual potential. This is similar to Radway’s ideal romance heroine, who does not recognize her own sexuality or beauty until she meets the hero.
“Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know”–This line shows another trait of Sheeran’s heroine that lines up with Radway’s ideal heroine. The heroine in this song is strong, which makes her different from everyone that the hero knows. She is unlike other girls, which is a crucial aspect of Radway’s ideal heroine. However, it does not erase her femininity, which is also important to heroines in Radway’s study of romance.
Radway would not consider “Perfect” a romance because of the missing conflict/resolution plotline between the hero and heroine. However, the hero and heroine have similar qualities to those in Radway’s study of romances.