- (Subtract) Yellow Vinyl

Ed Sheeran is set to release his new album lsquolsquo Subtract the last in his decadespanning mathematical album era on 5 May 2023 through AsylumAtlantic on vinyl, cassette and CD. An album that revisits Edrsquos singersongwriter roots, and one that was written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope, lsquorsquo Subtract presents one of the biggest stars on the planet at his most vulnerable and honest. In Edrsquos own words ldquoI had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. 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. Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decadersquos worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts. Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air. As an artist I didnrsquot feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didnrsquot accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. Itrsquos opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time Irsquom not trying to craft an album people will like, Irsquom merely putting something out thatrsquos honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last Februaryrsquos diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.rdquo