Ed Sheeran‘s new album will take an unflinching look at one of the most difficult period’s of the musician’s life.
The singer announced that he’s been working on a record called Subtract inspired by his “deepest, darkest thoughts” in a press release on Wednesday. He explained, “I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be.
Ed Sheeran experienced a series of life-changing events in early 2022, resulting in him using songwriting as therapy. Among the events was that his pregnant wife, Cherry Seaborn, received a diagnosis of a tumor with no treatment until after her baby’s birth; his best friend Jamal suddenly died; and he faced a copyright infringement lawsuit over “Shape of You.” Through all these experiences, he understood that it was time for him to be open with the public about the struggles he was going through. As a result, he released an album that reflects those moments called Subtract.
Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn experienced a tumultuous year at the start of
At that time, Seaborn found out she had a tumor, though couldn’t get treatment until childbirth; and his best friend Jamal passed away suddenly. Additionally, Ed Sheeran faced a copyright infringement lawsuit over claims that he plagiarized “Shape of You”, but was ultimately cleared by a judge in April.
These events left Ed spiraling through fear, depression and anxiety as he felt like he was drowning. In order to make sense of his feelings, Ed began writing his music as therapy and thus replaced a decade’s worth of work with his deepest darkest thoughts. As the artist realized the importance of expressing what happened during this experience to fans, he decided to use it to craft an honest album known as Subtract.
