Ahead of the release of his new album, Play, Ed Sheeran admitted on Heart Breakfast this morning that he doesn’t enjoy release week, saying that he almost has to ‘put his fingers in his ears’ to block out getting ‘ragged on’ by critics. Ed also cleared up reports that he has moved to the USA permanently, saying that he is a ‘Suffolk boy through and through.’
Key:
Hugh Bonneville – HB
Amanda Holden – AH
Jamie Theakston – JT
Ed Sheeran admits that he doesn’t enjoy album release week and has to ‘put his fingers in his ears’ to block out being ‘ragged on’ by critics
AH: “We should talk about the new album, Play. It says it puts you in more of a vulnerable position. It’s stuff you’ve never covered before, lots to do with love and Cherry and your girls and life in general. How do you feel when you do put something so open hearted out into the world?”
ES: “If I’m being honest, I don’t enjoy release week. I think I love making music and I love touring music, and I think the bridge between the two is releasing albums. Obviously, you have to put albums out there for people to digest and then come to the shows. But yeah, it’s never fun putting it out and getting, like, ragged on for a week. But this week will end and next week will begin, and the album will settle in. It’s happened every single record that I’ve put out. You put it out, people have an opinion, then they move on and then your fans find it and then you tour it.”
JT: “How come you’ve just the filtered out the positive and focused on the negative then?”
ES: “I feel like the positive comes after release week. The release week is a time where artists put themselves out there and everyone has the opportunity to rag on them for the week. So, it does actually feel like quite a negative week.”
JT: “Do you feel quite vulnerable?”
ES: “Yeah, always. Always. Because, you know, I’ve been making this record for three years. You build up to it, you put it out. I kind of just have to like put my fingers in my ears for a week.”
Ed Sheeran rubbishes reports that he has moved to the USA permanently, saying that he is a ‘Suffolk boy through and through’
AH: “You’ve mentioned America quite a lot and obviously we’ve read all the headlines. Are you moving?”
ES: “I have moved to America, but I’m not moving to America. This is the thing. Every tour, I live there, and I’ve done that since 2012, but no one’s cared up to this point. You know, I lived there in 2023, I lived there in 2013, I lived there in 2012. That has been a normal part of my career when I tour there. I have a family. I like my kids. I want to hang out with my kids! So, no, I’m not moving permanently. I’m very much a Suffolk boy through and through. I really enjoy going to Ipswich games. Like, I am British.”
