US EditionEd Sheeran Takes Inspiration From World Travels for New Album 'Play'
Ed Sheeran's eighth album Play features 13 tracks blending Asian and Middle Eastern musical elements with pop, including a hit collaboration with Indian singer Arijit Singh.
- Ed Sheeran released his eighth LP, Play, on September 12, 2025, through Gingerbread Man and Atlantic Records.
- Play follows a somber period marked by the 2022 death of Sheeran's best friend Jamal Edwards and his wife Cherry Seaborn's pregnancy health scare.
- The 13-track album blends Sheeran's signature singer-songwriter ballads with South and West Asian influences on songs like 'Azizam' and 'Sapphire.'
- Sheeran raps on the opening track 'Opening' with lines like "Been a long time on top, but I ain’t complacent," signaling a refreshed stance.
- Play starts a new five-album cycle following his mathematical series and suggests a bright new era as Sheeran moves beyond past struggles.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Eyeing comeback, Sheeran bets big on 'Play'
Ed Sheeran is back in the spotlight with the release of his eighth studio album, 'Play', a record he describes as a burst of colour after the most difficult period of his life. Out on Friday, 12 September, the album arrives with high expectations following two quieter releases that failed to match his previous chart-topping success. Sheeran's last records — 'Subtract' and 'Autumn Variations' — were intimate, introspective projects shaped by grie…
Ed Sheeran takes inspiration from world travels for new album 'Play'
Pop superstar Ed Sheeran doesn't stop. He's been on the road with his 'Mathematics' world tour for the last three-and-a-half years. But somehow he's found the time to write new music and cut a new album, “Play”, which is coming out on the 12th of September. For the record, his eighth studio album, Sheeran took inspiration from global sounds and collaborated with fellow musicians he's met on his travels.
Ed Sheeran's 'Play' takes on playful and bold style in his new era
Ed Sheeran returns with his eighth studio album, "Play (2025)", marking the first release in a planned five-album series. The album incorporates cross-cultural influences, experimental sounds, and personal reflections, representing a shift from his recent introspective work.
To present the always same colorful stones in constantly new figurations, that is the art of Ed Sheeran. Also on his eighth album "Play". Paradox that this man seems always cheerful despite problems.
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