LONDON: British iconic singer Ed Sheeran has deviated from usual Western pop Music in his new music album ‘Play’ slated for September 12 this year.
The 34-year-old award-winning singer has said the Play is an inspiration from all the travels, heartbreak and need for joy that he experienced, a deviation from his usual quiet sounds in the Mathematics series.
The album is not a continuation of Ed Sheeran’s symbol-themed series, but rather a collection of tracks influenced by various cultures that he encountered while touring around the world.
Sheeran says Play “was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that, I just wanted to create joy and technicolor, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.
“It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. It encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father,” he said.
Sheeran, best known for “Shape of You,” reveals that much of the album’s essence was inspired by India, where he completed the recording process in the city of Goa.
In the trailer, where it is stated that in Play, “the sounds are sounds that we don’t use in western pop music,” he can be seen playing the sitar and the tabla, and also singing a line in Punjabi.
Sheeran has already released two tracks from the album Play. One of them, Old Phone, was written while he was jet-lagged in India and offers a reflective look at his past experiences.
The other single, Azizam, explores Middle Eastern musical scales and draws inspiration from the Persian term meaning “my dear.” Sheeran has dedicated the song to his wife, Cherry Seaborn.
