Ed Sheeran, one of the world’s best-selling artists, has announced the release of his highly anticipated album on May 5th.
In a statement released to Twitter, Ed shared a diary entry from February of last year, in which he explained how his new album was nothing like any of his previous work and the heartbreaking reasons behind it.
“I had been working on subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic albums, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” he explained.
“A series of events changed my life.”
But all this work was about to be put aside; he explained, “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.”
Sadly, it was to be a series of tragic and traumatic events that led to the change in the album’s direction. “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor with no route for treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter.”
While these events could have stopped anybody in their tracks, Ed found a way through them with the help of his music; “Writing songs is my therapy…it helps me make sense of my feelings.”
Subtract. 05.05.2023. Pre-order now: https://t.co/W2vnTwszLX
— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) March 1, 2023
📸 @annieleibovitz pic.twitter.com/33La8ZPBxh
“I was spiraling through fear, depression, and anxiety.”
Out of those songs written through trauma and grief, he created an album very different from the music he was working on; “I replaced decades of work with my deepest, darkest thoughts.” he said, “I was spiraling through fear, depression, and anxiety.”
Ed explained how this album was not going to be a people-pleaser album and how he hadn’t created it for his fans; “It’s opening the trapdoor to my soul..for the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like”
His diary announcement finishes by saying, “This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”
Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn welcomed their second daughter, Jupiter, a sister to Lyra, last May.
So, if you’re an Ed Sheeran fan, mark May 5th in your calendar as the release date of Sheeran’s album, “Subtract.”
Why is the album called Subtract?
“-” Subtract is the fourth album in a mathematical sequence.It follows his 2011 debut album “+” and the subsequent records “x”, “÷” and “=”.
What songs are on Subtract?
There are 13 tracks in total on “-” Subtract:
- Boat
- Salt Water
- Eyes Closed
- Life Goes On
- Dusty
- Colourblind
- Curtains
- Borderline
- Spark
- Vega
- Sycamore
- No Strings
- The Hills Of Aberfeldy
Fans on Instagram can see a teaser video with the names of the songs written on the sand on a beach. The video illustrates the struggles that Sheeran has faced and indicates the mood of the album.
“-” Subtract is released May 5th, 2023.
Mandy is the enthusiastic creator of the vegetarian website Splash of Taste; she makes meat-free cooking fun and easy. When Mandy’s not cooking and writing, you’ll find her traveling, exploring countries and cuisines, and spending time with her chihuahua.