'A Direct Response To The Darkest Period Of My Life': Ed Sheeran Details New Album 'Play'

Ed Sheeran has revealed the release date for his highly anticipated new album, Play, and dropped a new single, Old Phone.

Play, the British singer-songwriter’s most lively album, will be released on Friday, 12 September, via Warner Records. While it’s a long time to wait, Sheeran has already started feeding fans’ appetites with the release of lead single Azizam and the newly released Old Phone.

Following his Mathematics album series and the folk stylings of 2023’s Autumn Variations, Play marks Sheeran’s return to “big pop.” He also explores new musical ground by joining forces with different producers and musicians, while finding inspiration in Indian and Persian musical cultures, and their surprising connections to the traditional Irish folk music of his childhood.

Despite returning to “big pop” music, Play was born from darkness as Sheeran embarked on a journey to create “joy and technicolour.” Here’s what he had to say about the album:

Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.

I made this record all over the world, finished it in Goa, India, and had some of the most fun, explorative creative days of my life. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, it encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father.

Going into this album campaign I said to myself ‘I just want everything I do to be fun and playful’ - so that’s why we are building pubs for folk jams, doing gigs on open top buses and singing in pink cowboy hats on bars.

The older I get the more I just want to enjoy things, and savour the moments that are mad and chaotic. You can preorder play now, many many more playful things to come before it’s out x

You can pre-order or pre-save Play here.

Last month, Sheeran dropped the dance music-influenced single, Azizam. He said of the Persian music-inspired number, “Even though it’s completely different to anything that I’ve ever done before, Azizam feels familiar to me.

“I wanted to create a party atmosphere in a song, and Ilya Salmanzadeh [Charli XCX, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith], who I worked with on the track, helped bring that to life. He was so inspiring to work with.”

Ed Sheeran last toured Australia in February 2023. Check out The Music’s review of his show at Suncorp Stadium here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)