Ed Sheeran has teased new music at a secret gig.
The 35-year-old singer / songwriter took time out from his Loop Tour in the US to play a small gig in Yellow Springs, Ohio earlier this week, where he debuted new music for fans.
According to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre columns, phones were banned at the two-and-a-half hour gig to prevent the tracks leaking.
Ed released his latest album, Play last year.
Meanwhile, in September, Ed Sheeran cried on stage and declared he was “so sorry” as he addressed the row over Palestine which led to Macklemore being removed from his tour.
The Shape Of You hitmaker had attracted criticism after his support act was dropped from the Loop live shows after declaring his support for the people of Palestine, and at his first concert back since the row broke out, Ed kicked off the evening with a speech.
He said: “This is not usually how I would open the show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s okay if I say a few words.
“I’m used to my music being criticised … This week the criticism was about something much more important … I am making mistakes and I am so so sorry.”
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important, compassionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.
“But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it any more.
“What happened in Israel, and at the Nova music festival on October 7, it was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation, loss of civilians’ lives. Children’s lives.
At this systemic injustice, (what) we’re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Making a rollercoaster motion with his hand, Ed noted the last week had been “like this”.
He added: “I’ve had a week of learning.”
The singer had previously insisted the decision to cut Macklemore from the tour hadn’t been his, and in his speech he appeared to lay the blame at wealthy venue owners.
He said: “I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approved content forms… It should never happen in the free world.”
He then grew tearful as he said: “I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims”.
