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Ed Sheeran’s Secret to Rediscovering His Joy Will Shock You

BBG News

This story is part of the 2025 TIME100. Read Chris Hemsworth’s tribute to Ed Sheeran here.

At one point during Ed Sheeran’s surprise St. Patrick’s Day performance at the downtown Boston pub, The Dubliner, it seems as though the crowd momentarily forgets that he’s even there. With around 300 superfans in attendance, who enthusiastically sang along to nearly every note as he performed chart-topping songs like “Shape of You,” “Perfect,” and “Bad Habits.

Later, Sheeran switches to a collection of old Irish tunes, joining forces with the Irish folk group Beoga. Here, he shares verses with emerging vocalist Aaron Rowe. Before you know it, Guinness beer is being poured, Irish flags and Kneecap balaclavas appear, and the audience no longer looks at him but rather at each other, patting backs, giving warm hugs, and raising fists in unison while singing the beloved Irish song “Grace” together.

“Just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger

They’ll take me out at dawn and I will die (I will die! I will die! I will die!)”

Instead of depicting a pop star ruling over his fanbase, we find a collective of artists employing their enthusiasm and skills to foster an environment that feels welcoming, personal, and homelike. Interestingly, Sheeran appears delighted by this transformation. When I caught up with him the following day in Los Angeles, during a preview of his upcoming album, Play, for industry professionals, he expressed how uplifting it is for the soul.

In past times, Sheeran admits he viewed his role as a mainstream pop star much like a contest, expanding his audience from theaters to arenas, then stadiums. His endeavors proved highly effective: For most of the 2010s, Sheeran’s tunes filled public spaces as abundantly as air does. Other songwriters and musical trends emerged and faded, but Sheeran consistently produced chart-topping songs, often composing them solo—a rarity in an age marked by increasing songwriter credits. On Spotify during the 2010s, he outpaced collaborators like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, as well as his close friend Taylor Swift—who, in a 2017 TIME 100 tribute, lauded him for having “one of the most remarkable self-made careers in music.” He currently ranks sixth among all-time most streamed artists on Spotify and has broken numerous streaming and concert attendance records worldwide.

I might’ve broken records before, yet it didn’t stir any emotions within me, I confess. As I gear up for my upcoming blockbuster album (still without a release date), I’m making conscious efforts to rearrange my life according to my recent priorities. This transformation involves finding joy in performing live music at intimate venues, cherishing fatherhood, fostering collaborations with artists across the globe, from China to India, and embracing my role as a catalyst—someone who doesn’t necessarily need to be the main attraction, but who creates spaces that foster community, empathy, and curiosity instead.

He expresses that he’s covered all grounds, then adds, “Now, I’m simplifying things a touch and rediscovering pleasure in making things.

Today, pop stars can swiftly gain fame through just one or two videos on social media platforms. However, Ed Sheeran’s journey was markedly different and physically demanding. He moved to London as a teenager and performed at small venues where he often functioned as mere background music. Reflecting on his early days, he recalls playing a wedding for £500 and thinking, “This is it,” believing he could sustain a living from it, even if it wasn’t going to be a lavish one.

In no time, he was filling small venues with sold-out performances and amassing a dedicated fanbase on YouTube. His skill and bravery in performing his music in various settings, from intimate acoustic spaces to rap clubs, impressed notables like Elton John and Jamie Foxx. By the mid-2010s, Sheeran was consistently writing massive hits. In January 2017, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill” broke the record for the highest number of streams within a day on Spotify upon release. Currently, thirteen of his songs have surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, with nine of those released between 2017 and 2021.

In his words, “Every popular song has a special moment in the studio where excitement runs high.” He continues, “This tends to happen just before the second verse or second chorus, as we catch our first real glimpse of its potential. I believe this is the most wonderful sensation you can experience.

2022 saw Ed Sheeran’s rhythm slow down significantly due to a string of unfortunate events. Tragically, his close friend Jamal Edwards, who had played a crucial role in launching his career back in 2010, passed away at the age of 31 following a cardiac arrest related to drug use. During this time, Sheeran’s wife, Cherry Seaborn, whom he had known since school days, was diagnosed with a tumor while expecting their second child. Moreover, several lawsuits were filed against him, alleging plagiarism of some of his most popular songs such as “Thinking Out Loud.” To add to his troubles, a court hearing in 2023 forced Sheeran to miss the funeral of his grandmother.

He found the lawsuits distressing, especially since his self-worth stemmed from his independence and innovation as a songwriter. In his view, pop music relied on a common, restricted palette of chords and melodies, and even the most renowned songwriters throughout history often repeated what had previously been created, whether accidentally or in tribute. If Sheeran were to lose the case, he contemplated abandoning music completely, expressing that if someone claimed ownership over the color blue, he wouldn’t see a reason to write songs anymore.

It’s not too shocking that during this time, Ed Sheeran’s music took on a more somber tone. His 2023 albums, titled “−” (pronounced “Subtract”) and “Autumn Variations“, which he self-released to dodge commercial pressure, are filled with themes of depression and anxiety. He didn’t do much marketing for these albums, and they didn’t sell as well as his past hits. At his concerts, he was often seen crying.

Ed Sheeran shared that he received valuable guidance from music legend Elton John on maintaining success in a volatile industry. They often discuss music, life, and the challenges of sustaining a career. In particular, John likened Sheeran’s “Autumn Variations” to his own introspective album, “Tumbleweed Connection,” from 1970. John also emphasized that a musician’s career should not be viewed as an escalator with only upward progression. Instead, he highlighted examples like the success of “The Lion King” in John’s later years, demonstrating that one’s career can have ups and downs, but it’s important not to judge its overall value based on a specific moment in time.

Ed Sheeran shares that he continues to grapple with feelings of sorrow and melancholy. He explains, “I’ve discovered that depression isn’t something you cure overnight with a single pill.” Instead, he suggests, “You might experience phases in your life where you feel better, and phases where you don’t. The intensity of the pain decreases gradually as time passes, but it’s crucial to always acknowledge and accept your feelings of grief. Don’t try to suppress or hide them; instead, let them breathe.

Despite his extraordinary achievements in the music industry, Sheeran appears remarkably down-to-earth. During the filming of his new song “Old Phone,” prior to his performance at the Boston pub, he is quiet, unpretentious, and courteous, warmly greeting almost everyone on set, including the crew members and staff who secretly gathered for a peek at his distinctive red hair. Sheeran acknowledges that he doesn’t fit the stereotype of a pop star. “If you went back to any high school in Britain and asked, ‘Who’s going to rap on a song with 50 Cent and Eminem?’ You probably wouldn’t pick this spectacled redhead,” he says, grinning. He once joked about his looks saying, “I have a face for the radio.

Instead of relying on his celebrity status for song content, Ed Sheeran’s unique strength lies in his ordinary life experiences. Unlike many artists who sing about wealth, fame, or power, Sheeran focuses on writing simple songs that depict the ups and downs of everyday existence. His compositions range from love (“Perfect”) to intimacy (“Shape of You”), substance abuse (“Bad Habits”), and even death (“Small Bump”). The simplicity of these songs, combined with Sheeran’s honest performance, enables listeners to easily identify with the universal emotions they portray. As Benny Blanco, a renowned hitmaker and one of Sheeran’s long-term collaborators, puts it, “He sings sentences that we often say in our daily lives, but nobody has ever arranged them like that in a song before. The quality that makes him exceptional—and I find myself in a similar position—is the fact that we’re just average guys who probably shouldn’t have made it, yet somehow we did. His humility and insecurity are what make him so relatable.

Critics sometimes find fault with his songs, pointing out “generic wisdom” or “overused simplicity”. Sheeran believes the raw sincerity of his music is key to its widespread appeal, especially during significant life events like proposals, weddings, and funerals. As he puts it, “Authenticity matters – people can sense when you’re being genuine, and I think that carries a lot of weight.

Ed Sheeran’s second remarkable skill lies in creating memorable pop melodies. In today’s music industry, which often relies on teams of professional songwriters to craft catchy tunes, Sheeran stands out by writing many songs single-handedly, either in his bedroom or tour bus. Sheeran works at an incredible pace, producing high-quality songs with astonishing speed: He has mentioned composing as many as eight songs in a day, and claims that the best songs are typically written within just three hours.

Typically, I require around a week to craft a decent song, asserts Blanco. However, he refuses to leave the recording studio unless he’s written three songs in a single day. That’s absolutely remarkable!

Ed Sheeran’s triumph can be attributed not only to his talent but also his knack for blending the peripheries of Western pop into its core. He consistently combines the finest aspects of international music such as British grime, dancehall, and reggaeton, creating catchy tunes that resonate globally. Although Sheeran’s dabbling in various genres has occasionally sparked claims of appropriation, he has worked with and been accepted by musical legends worldwide, ranging from Nigeria’s Burna Boy to South Korea’s Jessi from K-pop.

At the lowest point in his grief and legal battles, Ed Sheeran found less enthusiasm for music creation. However, over time, his spirits improved due to various reasons, as he himself mentions. His wife’s tumor was successfully removed post-childbirth. Their daughters, Lyra (4) and Jupiter (2), are thriving. He has recently chosen to live a sober life after years of excessive drinking. Moreover, he won plagiarism cases in both the U.K. and the U.S. For many years, Sheeran felt like other songwriters were exploiting him as a “piggy bank,” but since his two major court victories, he claims that people have left him alone, and the newfound freedom has significantly eased his burden.

Ed Sheeran’s latest album, titled “Play,” aims to move forward. This venture, which he labels as “vibrant” and “experimental,” initiates his second five-album sequence. (His initial five were all symbolically named; the next five will be music playback instructions.) The longing for a fresh narrative is evident in a song from the new album where he sings about dealing with anxieties and grief, before urging himself to “establish boundaries / for the sake of your loved ones.” After shedding his melancholy, he sings, “the day blooms anew.

Over the last four years, Ed Sheeran has written over 320 songs for his album “Play”, eventually narrowing it down to about 13 tracks. Despite always having a global perspective, this album seems to have the broadest reach. For example, he was introduced to Farsi music by Swedish-Iranian producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, which resulted in the lead single “Azizam”. This song has been warmly received by Iranian audiences worldwide. Last year, Sheeran took his family to Goa to complete the record, and he found it freeing to work with over a dozen musicians there. He notes that Western pop music can become repetitive and trend-following, while in India, he discovered a unique sound that simply exists without trying to conform. In another song, Sheeran will be singing in Punjabi alongside the widely acclaimed Hindi singer Arijit Singh.

As a music enthusiast, I must confess that Indian and Farsi tunes were unfamiliar territories for me. However, their rhythmic and harmonic elements left me astonished, as they seemed strikingly similar to the Celtic melodies I grew up with due to my Irish father’s influence. So, it wasn’t surprising to see the sheer joy on my face while playing “Azizam” alongside Beoga at The Dubliner. Throughout the performance, Beoga skillfully handled its rapid triplet feel, and our stomping was nothing short of spectacular. On stage, I frequently moved towards the back to sync perfectly with Eamon Murray’s bodhrán beats, while Niamh Dunne showcased her fiery fiddle solos. Sheeran and Beoga have shared many trad sessions, where musicians gather in a pub for endless hours playing classic Irish songs and sharing tales. During these jams, each artist gets their moment in the limelight before melting back into the collective harmony. “It’s one of my favorite things to do,” I say with a smile.

In a departure from his solo focus in the past, Ed Sheeran recently emphasized communal uplift through his music, as demonstrated by his surprise performance of a cross-cultural song during a New Orleans second line parade. Earlier this year, he established the Ed Sheeran Foundation to advocate for £250 million in funding for music education in Britain, highlighting the significant underfunding of music programs in schools. He remarks that this lack of investment is peculiar given the crucial role culture plays in the U.K.’s global influence, stating, “This is what truly endears our country to people worldwide.” He also notes his concern about the scarcity of emerging talent and the indifference of the government towards this issue.

During interviews in Boston and Los Angeles, Sheeran consistently expresses that the album “Play” is characterized by happiness and world travel. However, a somber atmosphere lingers over several tracks, particularly the emotionally charged song “Old Phone“, which was inspired by an incident involving one of Sheeran’s court cases. During this case, a judge requested that he hand over his old devices as evidence.

For over ten years, Sheeran has been phone-free, and when he finally turned on his 2015 model phone, he was startled by the numerous reminders of his past that popped up. “The first message I saw was from a friend who passed away, followed by an argumentative text from an ex-girlfriend, and then a message from a family member I hadn’t communicated with in a decade,” he recounted.

The tune portrays Sheeran feeling almost immobilized by an intense feeling of grief—only to force himself to pull through. Sheeran admits that the incident left him utterly bewildered, serving as a stark reminder to always focus on the present. “This is quite disorienting,” he confesses, “it’s a warning to stay focused on moving forward rather than dwelling in the past.” He continues, “I’m now 34, married with children, and I’m looking ahead instead of behind.

In this manner, Ed Sheeran travels across the globe, collaborating with musicians, performing in local taverns, essentially embodying the worldwide busker persona, transforming the mundane into something extraordinary and vice versa. This style could potentially propel him back to unprecedented levels of fame, particularly in Asian markets boasting vast streaming audiences, as a significant portion of his creative energy is being directed there.

If he doesn’t comply, he indicates that he won’t be overly concerned – and he will likely carry on performing and playing music with local artists at a nearby pub. He has reached a stage in his career where he primarily asks himself, “Am I enjoying it?” instead of, “Is it achieving commercial success?

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2025-04-16 16:11

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