Ed Sheeran is back with a brand new song and the details for his forthcoming new album!
The superstar shared the exciting news with fans via an Instagram live on Thursday (Aug. 19), where he shared his new song “Visiting Hours” for the first-time and detailed his new album, =, pronounced Equals.
Arriving on October 29, = will feature 14-tracks, including the already released songs “Bad Habits” and “Visiting Hours.” The album is available for preorder and pre-save now HERE.
“I started writing and recording this album in June 2017,” Sheeran shared on Instagram alongside the album’s cover art and track list. “It’s been a long, long process. I’ve been through love, loss, new life, grief and everything in between during the whole period of writing it, and I feel like it’s really a coming of age record. I’ve never been more proud of a body of work, or more excited/nervous for you all to hear it.”
Alongside the announcement of his fourth studio album, Sheeran also released a new song called “Visiting Hours,” a song that he says is very special to him as it was written for his late friend Michael.
“The next song off of it is called ‘Visiting Hours,’ which I finished for my friend Michael who sadly passed away this year. If you preorder the album you get this song with it, but it’s also on all platforms now too. Lots more music to come, but for now I hope you are as excited as me for this album.”
In term of the album art which features a very colorful red, pink, green and yellow paint splatter look with butterflies, symbolizing new life and life experiences, according to Sheeran.
“I painted part of the cover during lockdown, just splatting paint on a canvas and then my friend Zack has designed the cover, which is great,” Sheeran said of the cover art. “You would’ve seen the little chrysalis cocoon that is on there. Basically the symbolism behind the new album is new life I’ve been through over the last sort of four years, different experiences in life including getting married, having a kid, loosing a friend and I just felt like the butterfly symbolism is fitting with that.”
See the album art and full track list for = below.
= marks Sheeran’s first new solo album is over four years since the release of his previous record, ÷, pronounced as Divide.
= Track List
1. Tides
2. Shivers
3. First Times
4. Bad Habits
5. Overpass Graffiti
6. The Joker And The Queen
7. Leave Your Life
8. Collide
9. 2Step
10. Stop The Rain
11. Love In Slow Motion
12. Visiting Hours
13. Sandman
14. Be Right Now
Additionally, Sheeran will perform next month at the upcoming NFL season opener kickoff in Florida.
