Ed Sheeran announced early Wednesday that his new album - (Subtract) will be out May 5.
The singer’s sixth studio album, which follows 2011’s +, 2014’s x, 2017’s ÷ and 2021’s =, is described in a release as the “last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era.” (Sheeran also released No. 6 Collaborations Project in 2019.)
The acoustic-driven collection was written and produced by Sheeran with Aaron Dessner of The National.
“I 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,” Sheeran explained, in a statement. “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 decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”
The 32-year-old singer continued: “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 didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. 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.”
Sheeran is currently on the Australian leg of his +–=÷× Tour, which he brings to Toronto on June 17 and 18 and Vancouver on Sept. 2.
Check out the tracklist for Subtract below:
1. “Boat”
2. “Salt Water”
3. “Eyes Closed”
4. “Life Goes On”
5. “Dusty”
6. “End Of Youth”
7. “Colourblind”
8. “Curtains"
9. “Borderline”
10. “Spark”
11. “Vega”
12. “Sycamore”
13. “No Strings”
14. “The Hills Of Aberfeldy”