The artist explained that he felt like he was drowning, and he was struggling with depression and anxiety. He revealed that he didn’t feel like he could put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where he was and how he needed to express himself at this point in his life. Therefore, this album is purely a reflection of that. It’s opening the trapdoor into his soul. “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,” he said.
This album marks the end of Sheeran’s decade-spanning mathematical album era after releasing his debut album ‘+’ in 2011, followed by ‘x’, ‘÷’ and ‘=’. Sheeran collaborated with Aaron Dessner on writing and production. The duo began creating the album in February last year and wrote over 30 songs during their month together in the studio. Eventually, 14 songs made it into the album’s tracklist.
Sheeran’s latest album promises to be an emotional and honest portrayal of his life and is highly anticipated by fans worldwide.
