Ed Sheeran has shared a new single, “Azizam.” The song is a collaboration with producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, who encouraged Sheeran to make music inspired by his Persian heritage and culture.
“I love learning about music and different cultures the more I travel and connect with people,” Sheeran shared on Instagram. “It was like opening a door to a completely new and exciting world. I loved how a lot of rhythms, scales, melodies and instruments were different but similar to the Irish trad music I had grown up with. It was showing to me music connects us all, and really is a universal language. This whole album is about being playful, explorative, and celebratory.”
He added, “I’m so overwhelmed with the positive reaction to this song, and so excited for all the other surprises I have for ya. Hope this sets the scene of the soundtrack to your summer, more to come.”
“Azizam” is a Persian term of endearment that means “my dear.” Sheeran showcased the tune in a video filmed “across the USA and a bit in Ipswich,” as he explained on Instagram. It features a giant pink balloon with the song’s title and includes footage of the musician’s recent surprise street performance in New Orleans, where he played “Azizam” live. An official music video for the track will arrive in the coming weeks.
“Azizam” will appear on Sheeran’s forthcoming LP, Play. He revealed the album’s title during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, during which he also partially premiered a song titled “Old Phone.” The musician explained that he made his way through mathematics symbols with his albums Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, and Equals, and is now focused on Play, followed by Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop.
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“I’m kind of a bit obsessed with Tarantino, and I heard he was doing 10 films, and he’s got his side projects like Grindhouse,” Sheeran told host Jimmy Fallon. “So I’m like, ‘I want to do my 10 and, every now and then, do a side project here and there.’”
Sheeran’s last LP, Autumn Variations, dropped in 2023 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
