The Ed Sheeran juggernaut is cranking up a gear with the release of new song Boat on Friday.
This is in the lead-up to the release of his fifth album, Subtract, on May 5.
After spending the two years between his last record working with other artists such as BTS and Camilla Cabello, Sheeran announced the new solo album in March.
“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings,” he said. “I wrote without thought of what the songs would be. I just wrote whatever tumbled out.”
With details released a little at a time, here is what you need to know about Subtract.
1. It will be his most personal yet
Intimacy has always been a hallmark of his sound, and Sheeran’s latest work is likely to be more heart-rending.
This is a result of the personal and professional upheavals he has experienced in recent years.
These include his wife's tumour diagnosis during a pregnancy, the death of a best friend and defending himself in court against accusations of plagiarism.
These experiences sent Sheeran into depression.
“Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter,” he said.
“I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.”
2. It will have a brooding and atmospheric sound
Sheeran has already released two songs from the album.
The most recent is the opening track Boat, which was released alongside a music video on Friday.
Featuring an acoustic guitar and backing strings, it is a sparse track in which Sheeran compares the challenges of life to storms in the ocean.
“They say that all scars will heal, but I know,” he sings in the chorus. “Maybe I won't, but the waves won't break my boat. But the waves won't break my boat.”
The earlier release, Eyes Closed, is another stark and mostly acoustic number in which Sheeran meditates on mortality after the coronavirus pandemic.
“I pictured this year a little bit different when it hit February,” he said before adding: “Every song reminds me you're gone and I feel the lump form in my throat. Because I'm here alone.”
3. Sheeran worked with Taylor Swift's producer
If you are already picking up some similarities between Sheeran's new songs and Taylor Swift's Grammy Award-winning albums Folklore and Evermore, then you are not wrong.
Producing and co-writing some of the songs on Subtract is Aaron Dessner, the man behind those Swift albums.
Speaking to NME, Dessner recalled how the collaboration began after meeting Sheeran for dinner in New York in 2021.
“It felt so relaxed and as if we already knew each other,” Dessner said.
“Thinking about Ed’s music, I realised I was hearing things in my head I thought we could explore, musical ideas that would allow for more space and bring out what I admire about his guitar playing and incredible voice.”
4. There will be listening parties from New York to New Zealand
To complement the album's vibes, Sheeran has announced 95 intimate listening party sessions to be held throughout Europe, North America, China and New Zealand.
Starting from Sunday until the album's release date, some of the exact locations have yet to be announced, such as in London and Paris.
US events will mostly take place in record stores. All details are on Sheeran's official site.
5. More concerts to come
With the album arriving in the middle of Sheeran's stadium world tour, expect more dates to be added.
At present, the tour resumes in the US on May 6 and continues within North America until September 23.
