Eyeing comeback, Sheeran bets big on 'Play'

Ed Sheeran is back in the spotlight with the release of his eighth studio album, 'Play', a record he describes as a burst of colour after the most difficult period of his life. Out on Friday, 12 September, the album arrives with high expectations following two quieter releases that failed to match his previous chart-topping success.

Sheeran's last records — 'Subtract' and 'Autumn Variations' — were intimate, introspective projects shaped by grief and family illness. While deeply personal, they sold fewer than half a million copies each, a stark contrast to 2017's 'Divide', which shifted 8.4 million units in the UK alone. For the first time in a decade, the superstar seemed to be on the back foot.

'Play' is his attempt to turn the page. Across 13 songs, Sheeran leans into joy and experimentation, weaving global influences into his familiar pop formula. The singles 'Azizam' and 'Sapphire' showcase Asian and Middle Eastern sounds, with sitar, tabla, bansuri flute and Kashmiri santoor credited in the sleeve notes. On 'Sapphire', Sheeran duets with Indian star Arijit Singh in English, Hindi and Punjabi — a collaboration he pursued by travelling to Singh's hometown to perfect his pronunciation.

"I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring," Sheeran said in a press note. The approach reflects his recent six-city tour of India, where he took sitar lessons in Mumbai and shared an impromptu street performance in Bengaluru that police famously shut down.

Not every experiment lands. Critics note that many of the international influences are absorbed into Sheeran's polished pop without fully reshaping it. But tracks like 'Don't Look Down' — which pairs a bansuri motif with trance beats and lyrics about survival — hint at a bolder direction fans may wish he pursued more consistently.

Still, Sheeran's melodic instincts remain intact. Ballads such as 'In Other Words' and the biting R&B-tinged 'A Little More' show he can move from tender intimacy to sharp confrontation within the same record. And with 'Sapphire' already topping India's streaming charts — the first Western single to do so since 2021 — the gamble on global flavours is paying dividends.

To support the release, Sheeran has announced three arena dates in Coventry, Manchester and Dublin this December, ahead of his larger 'Loop' tour in 2026.

The singer also took to Instagram this week to clarify he is not permanently relocating to the United States with his family, despite headlines suggesting otherwise. "I'm not moving," he wrote. "I'm going on tour with my family — and I'll always pay tax in the UK because that's where I live."

For Sheeran, 'Play' is more than an album title — it is a statement of intent, an effort to reclaim his crown as one of the biggest global pop stars of his generation.