Ed Sheeran has launched a personal Instagram archive titled @teddysoldphone, unveiling unseen photos and messages from a mobile device he retired in 2015. The account, which has been quietly growing since March, was formally introduced ahead of the release of his new single, “Old Phone,” arriving 1 May 2025.
Among the over 200 posts are intimate moments from Sheeran’s past, including photos with Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Elton John, Usher, Sam Smith and Jamal Edwards.
A standout post captures a lively scene from the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, featuring Sheeran mid-drink with Swift and Harris in costume, joined by One Direction’s Horan and Tomlinson.
The archive also showcases a jar of homemade jam gifted by Swift, bearing a tongue-in-cheek label referencing Kanye West’s infamous 2009 interruption. “This label still makes me laugh,” Sheeran wrote.
The idea for the account and song began during a copyright trial in 2024, when Sheeran was required to revisit his old phone for evidence. He was later cleared of copying Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” The experience, however, stirred unexpected emotion. “I found myself crying at messages to friends who are now dead,” he said. “It felt like a time capsule.”
“Old Phone” reflects on those memories, written alone in India at 2 a.m. Sheeran said it feels like a song from his debut album, but with the depth of recent life experience. He also shared messages and photos involving his wife, Cherry Seaborn, from their early relationship, noting how important she’s been through these chapters.
The track follows April’s “Azizam,” and precedes another single, “Sapphire,” planned for later this year. Sheeran performed “Old Phone” at Coachella 2025 and built a themed British pub at the festival to promote it.
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