Ed Sheeran is gearing up for the release of his eighth studio album, “Play,” and promises fans won’t have to wait long between singles. Sheeran discussed the album’s diverse sound on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” with host Alex Cooper. During the episode, he touched on his songwriting process, shared a favorite memory with Taylor Swift, and recounted an embarrassing incident of being caught naked in a hotel lobby.
Sheeran’s new music includes the single “Azizam,” which will be part of “Play.” While a release date for the album has not been announced, Sheeran revealed new music would be released every two to three weeks. “My idea was because the album is so broad, I didn’t want to just be like, ‘Here’s the single. Here’s the album,’ so there’s music coming every sort of two, three weeks,” he said. Upcoming releases include “Old Phone,” which he has already previewed live on “The Tonight Show.”
Sheeran described the album as more explorative than his previous work. “I kind of had an attitude of ‘Why the f–k not?’ and not really felt like I have to be in a box of being a singer-songwriter,” he explained. He noted the influence of living in India and collaborating with Indian musicians, as well as working with Ilya, a Persian artist, on “Azizam.” The album is meant to be playful and celebratory, aligning with its title, “Play.”
This new LP follows his 2023 albums “−” and “Autumn Variations,” which peaked at No. 2 and No. 4 on the Billboard 200, respectively. These were his first albums not to reach No. 1 since his 2011 debut, “+.” In November 2024, he released the single “Under the Tree,” featured in the Netflix film “That Christmas.”
Reflecting on the tone of “Play,” Sheeran said it will differ from his recent albums, which he described as “very depressing about quite hard-hitting subjects.” He added, “I feel like coming out of that, of you know, going through grief and all that sort of stuff coming out, I needed to have something that felt bright and colorful and playful.” The album promises to capture the fun and excitement he experienced performing at various events, including St. Patrick’s Day and Tootsie’s in Nashville.