Ed Sheeran dishes on his latest album ‘Play’ and getting ready to go out on tour while backstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Presented by Capital..

Ed Sheeran dishes on his latest album ‘Play’ and getting ready to go out on tour while backstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Presented by Capital..

 

 

 

Ed Sheeran

Fresh from the energy-charged atmosphere of the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2025 (Presented by Capital One) in Las Vegas, Ed Sheeran is turning heads—and earholes—with his new album Play, and the buzz around his upcoming tour is already building. Backstage at the festival, the singer-songwriter opened up about the deeply personal inspiration behind the album, the global sonic experiments he took on, and how he’s gearing up for what promises to be one of his most ambitious live runs yet.

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Breaking Through the Backstage Calm

Moments after wrapping a jaw-dropping set at the festival—where Sheeran played solo with loop pedal and guitar, building full-fledged songs live in front of the crowd—he stepped offstage into a quieter zone and lifted the curtain on where his head and heart have been for the past year. Wearing an easy grin (despite the miles behind him), he spoke candidly about Play and what it has meant.

He recalled being in a period he later described as “the darkest period of my life.” The impetus for Play, he said, was not just to release another album—but to rediscover joy. “I just wanted to create joy and technicolour,” Sheeran told an interviewer. He detailed how this album took shape while on the road and on the move: from touring through global cultures to finishing the record in Goa, India, soaking in the vibe and letting it inform the sound.

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The Sound of Play: Global, Personal, Playful

With Play, Sheeran is forging into new sonic territory—though in a way that remains distinctly “him”. The album, which hits 12 September 2025, is his eighth studio LP and the first in a new conceptual series following his “mathematical” album run (plus, multiply, divide, subtract, equals).

Here are a few key touchpoints:

Global influences: Tracks like “Azizam”, released 4 April 2025, lean into Persian-inspired rhythms and instrumentation—a collaboration that shows Sheeran’s willingness to step outside familiar territory.

Nostalgic introspection: On “Old Phone”, Sheeran opens the door to a personal archive—the old mobile phone he found from 2015 revealing texts from lost friends and old loves, stirring a reflection on past and present.

Playfulness & variety: The title Play itself set the tone. Sheeran said he wanted this album to feel like a roller-coaster of emotions—one moment colourful and light, the next more grounded and intimate.

Song list and structure: According to track-listing details, Play includes 13 songs with titles like “Opening”, “Sapphire”, “Camera”, “The Vow”, “Heaven”.

Backstage, Sheeran joked that making a pub in Massachusetts for the “Old Phone” video and performing on open-top buses were part of his mission to keep things fun. He also hinted at how the live show will reflect this global and playful spirit, with surprises built into the performances.

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Preparing for the Tour: Bigger Than Ever

After the festival set—where he essentially built the songs live, layering guitar, vocals, loops and more—Sheeran revealed he’s now fully in tour-mode. He described the upcoming tour (part of the Play campaign) as more than just bringing songs to stage—it’s about taking fans on the journey of the album from listening to live immersion.

He emphasized how the tour will reflect the themes of Play: global sounds, interactive moments, and a sense of spontaneity. In his words: “I’m excited to travel with this album, bring in elements of the places we recorded – things that happened in Goa, things from the phone that I found in 2015, and play it out live.” While exact dates and cities are yet to be fully revealed, the backstage mood was one of anticipation. He told the interviewer that he’s been training physically, refocusing his live rig, and rehearsing setlists with fresh arrangements that mirror the album’s breadth.

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Why This Era Matters

For fans and observers, this record matters for several reasons:

Creative reset: After years of global touring, chart-topping hits and personal upheaval (including the loss of close friends), Sheeran seems determined to reshape his narrative.

Cultural curiosity: By absorbing and incorporating sounds beyond the UK and US mainstream pop sphere, the album signals a broadened worldview—without losing his hook-writing core.

Live ambition: The festival set wasn’t just a teaser—it acted as proof-of-concept that Sheeran is thinking bigger about how to bring Play to life in concert.

Fan engagement: From pop-up events in multiple cities ahead of the release to Instagram teases and story-driven visuals, Sheeran is creating multiple access points for listeners to enter this era.

 

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A Glimpse of the Backstage Chat

Here are some distilled highlights from our conversation:

On what Play means: “It felt like the right moment to stop doing what I’d done and remember why I started. When everything around you is a machine, you almost forget how to play again. So that was the mission.”

On touring again: “I missed that moment when you walk on stage not just to perform, but to open a door. With these songs I want people to feel like they’re part of something—because I felt part of something making them.”

On balancing life and music: “It’s changed. I’m married now, I’m a father, so the stakes are different. But I still have the same fire. I’m just older and maybe wiser about how I use it.”

On the surprise elements: “Expect the unexpected. The loops, the guitars, the global flavours—but also the acoustic moment where it’s just me and a crowd, nothing else. I want it to feel human.”

 

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Looking Ahead

As we count down to 12 September (the release date for Play) and the forthcoming tour announcements, the energy backstage at iHeartRadio offers a strong indication that this is a chapter worth watching. Sheeran’s willingness to push himself, to embrace cultural cross-pollination and emotional transparency, signals an album era that’s less about maintaining his position and more about exploring new spaces—as artist and as performer.

Fans should keep their eyes peeled for upcoming tour dates, special events tied to the album release (including pop-up experiences in London, Madrid, Naples, Amsterdam and Cologne). Meanwhile, the festival performance gave a taste of what’s to come—a Sheeran who is simultaneously comfortable at the top of the game and hungry to rediscover it all.

In short: Ed Sheeran has pressed Play. And we’re all about to press play with him.