Ed Sheeran about the release date “-” (subtract or subtract) out May 5th at Asylum/Atlantic via Warner Music Brasil. This will be an album that revisits the singer-songwriter’s roots, last written against a backdrop of personal grief and hope. “-” (Subtract) features one of the biggest stars on the planet at their most vulnerable and honest, and is the latest in the decade-long era of math albums.
Ed Sheeran burst onto the UK music scene in 2011 with his debut album, ‘+’. Quickly establishing himself as a history-making artist, he followed that up with “x”, “”, “#6 Collaboration Project” and “=”, a back catalog that made Sheeran one of the world’s biggest musical success stories in the 21st century.
The new album is the result of the artist pushing the boundaries of his musical art by delivering the most profound tracks of his career. Collaborating with Aaron Dessner (The National) on writing and producing, they began crafting the album in February of last year. Writing over 30 songs during the month spent in the studio, the project’s 14 tracks are seamlessly tied together by exquisite production from folk-leaning textures to orchestral arrangements.
In Ed’s own words – “I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to come up with the perfect soundtrack album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. Then, in early 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I I saw music and art.
Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me understand my feelings. I wrote it without thinking about what the songs were, I wrote whatever they were. And in just over a week, I’d replaced a decade’s worth of work with my darker, deeper thoughts. Within a month, my pregnant wife was told she had a tumor, which was not treated until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother of mine, died suddenly and I found myself in court defending my integrity and my career as a songwriter. I was in a spiral of fear, depression and anxiety.
I felt like I was drowning, with my head below the surface, looking up but unable to breathe. As an artist, I did not feel I could present a body of work that did not accurately represent where I was and how I needed to express myself at this point in my life. This album is just that. It opens the trapdoor to my soul. For once, I’m not trying to make an album that people will love, I’m just putting something honest and real into who I am with my life. This is the last February diary entry and my way of understanding it. This is “put up”.
Check out the full track list for the album “-” (Subtracted):
boat
salty water
closed eyes
life goes on
dusty
The end of youth
color blind
curtains
Border line
spark
Vega
sycamore
Without restrictions
Aberfeldy Hills
