Photo: ANNIE LEIBOVITZEd Sheeran’s new album-(pronouncedSubtract)is set to be his most personal yet.In a candid Instagram post on Wednesday, Sheeran, 32, announced the upcoming release of his first song from the album, “Eyes Closed,” which drops March 24.“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and things you did together,” he wrote in a caption, alluding to the Feb. 22death of his friend Jamal Edwardsofcardiac arrest following recreational drug useat age 31.“You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it,” Sheeran continued before confirming the upcoming single is about the loss of the music entrepreneur and DJ, who helped launch Sheeran’s career in its early days.“Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel,” added Sheeran. “And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it.“The single announcement comes after Sheeranteased the chorus of the song in a pair of TikTok videoslast week. In one video, Sheeran sang the track while duetting with videos of himself playing an acoustic guitar. In another, he sat down to play at a piano.“So I’m dancing with my eyes closed/‘Cause everywhere I look I still see you/Time is moving so slow/And I don’t know what else that I can do,” he sang. “So I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed/Oh I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed.“Sheeran’s upcoming album, set for release on May 5, touches on the feelings the singer experienced in the wake of his friend’s death, as well as a variety of other hardships he faced around the same time.“I had been working onSubtractfor a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” he said in a March 1 Instagram post. “Then at the start of 2022, aseries of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.“Sheeran said that “within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, with no route to treatment until after the birth, my best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standingin court defending my integrityand career as a songwriter.“The “Shivers” singer turned to music to help him cope with the onslaught of emotions during that tumultuous period.“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts,” he added.Sheeran andhis wife, Cherry Seaborn, went on towelcome their second daughterin May of last year. He was alsoawarded over $1 millionin legal costs after winning the plagiarism suit over his hit song “Shape of You.“ANNIE LEIBOVITZNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The new album, which completes the series of mathematical albums he began with his debut album+ (Plus)in 2011, is “opening the trapdoor into my soul,” Sheeran said in the post.“For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This isSubtract.”
Photo: ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Ed Sheeran’s new album-(pronouncedSubtract)is set to be his most personal yet.In a candid Instagram post on Wednesday, Sheeran, 32, announced the upcoming release of his first song from the album, “Eyes Closed,” which drops March 24.“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and things you did together,” he wrote in a caption, alluding to the Feb. 22death of his friend Jamal Edwardsofcardiac arrest following recreational drug useat age 31.“You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it,” Sheeran continued before confirming the upcoming single is about the loss of the music entrepreneur and DJ, who helped launch Sheeran’s career in its early days.“Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel,” added Sheeran. “And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it.“The single announcement comes after Sheeranteased the chorus of the song in a pair of TikTok videoslast week. In one video, Sheeran sang the track while duetting with videos of himself playing an acoustic guitar. In another, he sat down to play at a piano.“So I’m dancing with my eyes closed/‘Cause everywhere I look I still see you/Time is moving so slow/And I don’t know what else that I can do,” he sang. “So I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed/Oh I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed.“Sheeran’s upcoming album, set for release on May 5, touches on the feelings the singer experienced in the wake of his friend’s death, as well as a variety of other hardships he faced around the same time.“I had been working onSubtractfor a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” he said in a March 1 Instagram post. “Then at the start of 2022, aseries of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.“Sheeran said that “within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, with no route to treatment until after the birth, my best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standingin court defending my integrityand career as a songwriter.“The “Shivers” singer turned to music to help him cope with the onslaught of emotions during that tumultuous period.“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts,” he added.Sheeran andhis wife, Cherry Seaborn, went on towelcome their second daughterin May of last year. He was alsoawarded over $1 millionin legal costs after winning the plagiarism suit over his hit song “Shape of You.“ANNIE LEIBOVITZNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The new album, which completes the series of mathematical albums he began with his debut album+ (Plus)in 2011, is “opening the trapdoor into my soul,” Sheeran said in the post.“For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This isSubtract.”
Ed Sheeran’s new album-(pronouncedSubtract)is set to be his most personal yet.
In a candid Instagram post on Wednesday, Sheeran, 32, announced the upcoming release of his first song from the album, “Eyes Closed,” which drops March 24.
“This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and things you did together,” he wrote in a caption, alluding to the Feb. 22death of his friend Jamal Edwardsofcardiac arrest following recreational drug useat age 31.
“You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it,” Sheeran continued before confirming the upcoming single is about the loss of the music entrepreneur and DJ, who helped launch Sheeran’s career in its early days.
“Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel,” added Sheeran. “And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it.”
The single announcement comes after Sheeranteased the chorus of the song in a pair of TikTok videoslast week. In one video, Sheeran sang the track while duetting with videos of himself playing an acoustic guitar. In another, he sat down to play at a piano.
“So I’m dancing with my eyes closed/‘Cause everywhere I look I still see you/Time is moving so slow/And I don’t know what else that I can do,” he sang. “So I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed/Oh I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed.”
Sheeran’s upcoming album, set for release on May 5, touches on the feelings the singer experienced in the wake of his friend’s death, as well as a variety of other hardships he faced around the same time.
“I had been working onSubtractfor a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” he said in a March 1 Instagram post. “Then at the start of 2022, aseries of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.”
Sheeran said that “within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, with no route to treatment until after the birth, my best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standingin court defending my integrityand career as a songwriter.”
The “Shivers” singer turned to music to help him cope with the onslaught of emotions during that tumultuous period.
“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts,” he added.
Sheeran andhis wife, Cherry Seaborn, went on towelcome their second daughterin May of last year. He was alsoawarded over $1 millionin legal costs after winning the plagiarism suit over his hit song “Shape of You.”
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The new album, which completes the series of mathematical albums he began with his debut album+ (Plus)in 2011, is “opening the trapdoor into my soul,” Sheeran said in the post.
“For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This isSubtract.”
source: people.com
