Ed Sheeran Announces ‘Play’ Album Drop with New Single “Old Phone”

Ed Sheeran is marking the upcoming launch of his new album
Play
By dropping its newest single, “Old Phone,”

The artist, who has won four Grammy Awards, declared on Thursday that his upcoming album will be released on September 12. In honor of this event, he additionally dropped the project’s second single.

Sheeran shared his thoughts on what inspired him for this particular piece.
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In a recent Instagram post, he confessed about the “album created directly in reaction to the most challenging time of my life.” This led him to aim at “generating joy and vibrancy, along with exploring various cultures in the countries I visited during my tour” when making the album.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”

A few weeks before he made his announcement, Sheeran released “Azizam,” which served as the lead single from his upcoming album. This song was crafted under the guidance of producer Ilyah Salmanzadeh, known for collaborations with artists such as Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, and Tate McRae. The concept for this new piece emerged when the producer proposed exploring music influenced by their Persian roots and cultural background.
Sheeran shared on Instagram
. “Azizam” is a
term of endearment
that means “my dear.”

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The album’s track list features both “Azizam” and “Old Phone,” amounting to
13 tracks
with no reported features.

The singer-songwriter’s last album,
Autumn Variations
, launched in 2023 and reached No. 4 on
Billboard
‘s 200 Albums chart