U.K. singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran is preparing the release of his newest record, the next in his series of equation-based titles, revealing on Wednesday, March 1 that his upcoming album, – (Subtract), will be arriving on May 5.
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Ed Sheeran's latest installment, - (Subtract), will follow and perfectly sum up his previously released collections, his 2011 debut + (Plus), x (Multiply) in 2014, ÷ (Divide) in 2017, and = (Equals) released in 2021. In a lengthy social media post, Sheeran explained how the making of this new record caused him to look back on a number of painful moments and some of his "deepest, darkest thoughts."
Today on Instagram, Sheeran detailed the emotional inspiration behind the new record, saying he 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. Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art." He continues, admitting "Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts."
Revealing some of the more intimate details that are certainly written about on the new release, Sheeran says that "within the space of a month, my pregnant wife [Cherry Seaborn] 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. 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."
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"As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life," he continues. "This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my 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."
Finally, Ed shares, "This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract."
Pre-orders for - (Subtract) are available now.
Sheeran's + - = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour is set to begin on May 6 in Arlington, TX with Khalid, Russ, Dylan, Cat Burns, Maisie Peters, and Rosa Linn providing support on select dates, and will continue through a number of U.S. cities before wrapping in Inglewood, CA on September 23.
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In other news, Ed is adding a little spice to life with his very own line of hot sauces. The 32-year-old recently announced the creation of Tingly Ted’s, a hot sauce in partnership with Kraft Heinz. Plus, be sure to get your votes in now for Audacys 2023 Artist Showdown.
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