Ed Sheeran Announces New Album -

By Ryn Cole

Pop sensation, Ed Sheeran, has recently announced the fifth installment of his studio albums entitled using mathematical symbols. This newest album, – (pronounced “Subtract”) is set to be released on May 5 of this year, and it may just be his rawest and most emotional collection of songs yet.

Sheeran’s previous albums include + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017), = (2021), and an album of entirely collaborations called No. 6 Collaborations Project (2019). He is known for his acoustic singer-songwriter style and has written some of the most popular songs of the 2010s including “Perfect”, “Castle on the Hill”, “Thinking out Loud”, “Shape of You”, and many others which have helped shape him into one of the most-listened to pop stars to date. Not only this, but he also holds the record of the most attended ticketed concert in the world from his Mathematics Tour in Australia where upwards of 105,000 tickets were sold according to Billboard Magazine.

It is safe to say that Ed Sheeran has consistently remained popular in the eye of the public and influential in the music industry. Although he has released music consistently throughout his career, fans are even more excited for this new album as he has promised it would be his most vulnerable work yet.

Sheeran announced this album in an Instagram post where he declared the emotional importance of Subtract and his excitement surrounding it. Ed claims the album has been in the making for a decade and that he has crafted together an album which will showcase who he is as a person and the life struggles he has faced so far. With a deep focus on his mental health and how it has fluctuated through his life, and specifically in 2022, Sheeran hopes to bring real, raw emotion to -.

In his post he describes last year’s struggles saying, “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, 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.” The past year has taken a great toll on his mental health, and he poured these thoughts and feelings into his songwriting.

While Sheeran has promised an emotionally packed album with a large focus on lyrics, fans can look forward to hearing his signature acoustic sound as well as he mentions “Subtract” will be a fully acoustic album. Because he is an extremely talented musician, this album should be an acoustic homerun if it is like anything he has released before.

On top of the album, he has also announced that he will be playing shows in both the UK and EU. In an Instagram video he mentions he will “do a mini tour to launch the first single from Subtract.” Tickets to these shows are available for presale and will likely go quickly because these are the only shows he will be playing in the UK and EU this year.

This album has already gained immense attraction from Ed Sheeran’s fans around the world, and people are thrilled to see a different yet real side of the pop singer soon. He says, “For the first time, I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.”

Authenticity is at the forefront of Sheeran’s new album, and if it’s like any he has released before, he won’t be letting his fans down.