Ed Sheeran surprises viral subway singer with impromptu duet

The video ended with Sheeran gifting the singer free tickets to his show at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.

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Fans took to the comment section of the post, excited that an interaction like this could happen in a subway platform. One comment read: “I Would never expect to see Ed Sheeran at Church Ave.”

Yung is no stranger to covering the pop star’s hits. His 2017 cover ‘Thinking Out Loud’ has more than 5.9 million views on YouTube. He was also a contestant on season 12 of America’s Got Talent where he made it to the semi-finals.

‘Eyes Closed’ is the lead single from Sheeran’s forthcoming album ‘-‘. The album is the final instalment in the singer’s decade-long mathematical album era, which is set to arrive May 5 via Atlantic.

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This is not the first time Sheeran has surprised a fan. Last month, the singer invited a fan who covered his songs on YouTube to perform ‘The A Team’ at his show in London.

In other news, the singer recently revealed that one of the key inspirations behind his new album is the “unbreakable bond” he has with his wife. It has been described as an acoustic-driven record that was written and rewritten against a backdrop of personal turmoil.

Sheeran also recently shared that he doesn’t see the point in music critics and revealed that Jay-Z “respectfully passed” on featuring on the singer’s massive hit single ‘Shape Of You’.

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More British artists achieved streaming success in 2022 than ever before

Sophie Jones, BPI Chief Strategy Officer and Interim Chief Executive said of the data: “Streaming has changed the face of music – enabling artists to connect with fans at home and around the world in ways never possible before, and with consumers also able to enjoy unprecedented choice and affordability.

“It is heartening to see this new research showing so many artists achieving such huge success in streaming, encompassing many less well-known names as well as global superstars.

“With record labels delivering improvements in areas such as transparency and deal terms, as the market continues to adapt and evolve, their biggest contribution remains essential investment to develop and support artists.”

You can see the top 20 artists below:

1. Ed Sheeran
2. Harry Styles
3. D-Block Europe
4. Arctic Monkeys
5. Dave
6. Adele
7. Coldplay
8. Elton John 
9. Dua Lipa
10. Queen 
11. The Beatles
12. George Ezra
13. Oasis 
14. Sam Fender 
15. Fleetwood Mac
16. Little Mix
17. Central Cee
18. Calvin Harris 
19. Sam Smith 
20. Becky Hill 

Last year, the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) formally launched a new study to examine the music streaming market.

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The announcement followed on from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s ‘Economics Of Music Streaming’ report, which was published in 2021 and led to the government calling on the CMA to start an investigation into the matter.

They announced that the CMA “will examine the music streaming market, from creator to consumer, paying particular attention to the roles played by record labels and music streaming services”.

The CMA’s assessment will consider “whether innovation is being stifled and if any firms hold excessive power”, and aims to “build a deeper understanding of how firms in the market influence listeners’ choices and experiences”.

“While focussing on potential harm to consumers, the CMA will also assess whether any lack of competition between music companies could affect the musicians, singers and songwriters whose interests are intertwined with those of music lovers,” a statement said at the time.

In 2021, Kevin Brennan MP’s bill on reforming musicians’ remuneration – dubbed the ‘Brennan Bill’ – failed to make it through the House of Commons.

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Jay-Z “respectfully passed” on featuring on Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’

“We were in touch,” Sheeran said. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”

This May, Sheeran will release new album ‘-‘ (pronounced ‘Subtract’). That record is set to arrive on May 5 via Asylum/Atlantic (pre-order/pre-save here), with a Disney+ documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum of it All premiering on May 3.

The album sees Sheeran team up with Aaron Dessner of The National and is about “fear, depression and anxiety”. It’s also billed as the “last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era”.

In the same Rolling Stone interview, Sheeran shared that following the death of Jamal Edwards, he “felt like I didn’t want to live anymore,” elaborating that “those thoughts were bad enough, but shame arrived as their companion. They seemed selfish, especially as a father. I feel really embarrassed about it.”

Sheeran has also revealed plans for a posthumous album to be released following his death. That record will be a progressive work, with the singer planning to “add songs here and there” throughout the rest of his career.

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Aaron Dessner to play “special” New York show with Ed Sheeran

You’ll be able to find tickets to the show here.

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A post shared by Aaron Dessner (@aarondessner)

Dessner teamed up with Sheeran on writing and production for the LP. In a post on social media earlier this month, , Dessner recalled how he was first introduced to Sheeran when he helped produce his collaborative song with Taylor Swift, ‘Run’, from ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’.

“It was special for me to hear two old friends singing together and bringing the past to life — and an interesting way to meet someone, working on music remotely first before actually meeting in person,” he wrote.

Later, Dessner and Sheeran met up for dinner in New York City where they “talked at length about music and life”. The message continued: “It felt so relaxed and as if we already knew each other. Thinking about Ed’s music, I realised I was hearing things in my head I thought we could explore, musical ideas that would allow for more space and bring out what I admire about his guitar playing and incredible voice.

“I spent some time sketching these ideas and shared a folder with Ed. A few months later in the winter of 2021, he started writing to them and sending sometimes multiple song ideas a day, inspired by a very difficult period he was going through in his life. I could really empathise with what he was feeling and was eager to help realise these songs.”

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Dessner and Sheeran then reunited in January 2022 to continue working on music, and “finished over 30 songs together in a week”, 14 of which make up the forthcoming ‘-‘.

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Earlier today (March 24), Sheeran released a music video for ‘Eyes Closed’, the lead single off ‘-‘. In the video, he is followed around by a fluffy blue creature that only he can see, which represents grief.

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Ed Sheeran announces UK and Europe arena tour – kicking off this month

Fans can pre-order the album before 9am on Tuesday 7 March via Sheeran’s official website here to gain early access to the ticket pre-sale before tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 10 March and will be available here.

MARCH
Thursday 23 – Manchester, AO Arena
Friday 24 – London, The O2
Saturday 25 – London, The O2
Tuesday 28– Glasgow, Hydro Arena  
Thursday 30 – Dublin, 3Arena

APRIL
Sunday 2 – Paris, Accor Arena

Ed Sheeran has announced details of a UK and Ireland tour kicking off this month. Credit: Press

Sheeran’s new album is the follow-up to 2021’s ‘=’, and is released on May 5 via Asylum/Atlantic. ‘-‘ is described in press material as the “last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era” and is an acoustic-driven album that was written and rewritten against a backdrop of personal turmoil.

Aaron Dessner of The National teamed up with Sheeran on writing and production.

“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,” said Sheeran of the record. “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.

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He continued: “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.”

Earlier this year Sheeran told fans that a “turbulent” time in his life had stopped him engaging with social media, but he didn’t detail what those troubles were.

Now, he has spoken of how “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 [Edwards], 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.”

Ed Sheeran. CREDIT: Joseph Okpako/WireImage

The news follows reports that Sheeran declined to perform at King Charles’ coronation this May.

Elsewhere, the soloist recently launched ‘Tingly Teds’, his own range of hot sauce.

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Cradle Of Filth hint Ed Sheeran collaboration could finally be on the way

In August 2022, the band’s frontman shared that work on the track was progressing, but Sheeran becoming a father had delayed sessions. “He’s done some of it, but then he had a baby, and then he got obviously sidetracked with that and doing whatever Ed does, which is play massive shows around the globe,” Filth said. “He’s not at our beck and call. But he is gonna finish it, he assures me. Actually, I spoke to him quite recently.”

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A post shared by Dani Filth (@danifilthofficial)

Now, the singer has shared a new photo of the pair and producer Scott Atkins, hinting in the caption that they could have been working on the collaboration. “A little over a week ago I was having lunch with the unlikely lads, having just done something fun,” Filth wrote on the Instagram post.

The idea of the collaboration was first sparked after Sheeran revealed in an interview that he “would not be opposed to” making a metal album. In the same interview, he shared that he was “really into death metal as a kid” and had been a big fan of Cradle Of Filth and Slipknot.

Cradle Of Filth wouldn’t be the only unlikely collaboration the British pop star has landed. In February, he was joined by Bring Me The Horizon at the BRITs 2022 to perform a twist on his hit single ‘Bad Habits’. Days later, an alternate take of the track featuring both artists was released, and he joined the band at Reading 2022 to perform the song again.
In the wake of the ceremony, Sheeran also revealed that he was “going to write a song” with the band. “I got in touch with [Oli Sykes] and we were going to write together but then the pandemic happened, so we were in touch – I’ve been a fan for a long time,” he said.

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Lewis Capaldi explains why he changed lyrics written by Ed Sheeran on upcoming album

“I don’t even think that Ed’s own wife has got his last name.”

He also revealed he was initially sceptical of collaborating with Sheeran because “every British artist who has a number one record seems to have Ed on it”.

“That’s a testament to how good he is but I was wary of it,” he said. “My ego was going, ‘I don’t want people thinking Ed wrote my song’.

“I actually mentioned that to him and he offered to take up a pseudonym – but at the end of the day, he did help write it so there should be no question.”

Despite his concerns, the pair went forward with the collaborative effort, with Capaldi adding that Sheeran “brought out the softy in me”.’Pointless’ is set to feature on Lewis Capaldi’s second album which is due for release on May 19, 2023 and is available to pre-order here.

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In a recent interview with The Guardian, Capaldi described the LP as being “the same” as what’s come before.

He added: “All in all, the album’s the same. I like making this music; it’s done all right in the past.

“I don’t have this sort of artistic desire to go off and reinvent myself. Not at all. I feel like the same person, so why would I be searching for something new?”

UK & EUROPE biggest ever headline tour goes on pre-sale on weds at 9AM!!

🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇵🇱🇦🇹🇩🇪🇨🇿🇧🇪🇳🇱🇫🇷🇩🇰🇳🇴🇸🇪🇨🇭🇮🇹🇪🇸

pre-sale codes will be sent tues night for any of ya who have pre-ordered the album from here 👉 https://t.co/LMKdZZaJ9a

so so buzzing! who is coming? ❤️ x pic.twitter.com/8YjAqmPPgH

— Lewis Capaldi (@LewisCapaldi) October 22, 2022

The project will feature the recently released ‘Forget Me’ and will be followed by an extensive UK/European arena tour in 2023 which kicks off in Leeds on January 14, with further dates in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff and Exeter.

Tickets for the shows will go on pre-sale tomorrow (October 26) and go on general sale this Friday (October 28). You will be able to purchase tickets here and here.

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Ed Sheeran speaks about Queen Elizabeth II’s influence on his music career

“I want to have a guitar and I want to sing on stage. Then, ten years later, I’m playing the same thing – and I’ve just played the one ten years on from that, as well. It’s bonkers.”

Sheeran performed ‘The A Team’ in 2012 at the Diamond Jubilee and ‘Perfect’ earlier this year at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Elsewhere on the show, Sheeran spoke about the few times he had met the Queen and the story behind a photo that shows the two together.

“She was smiling when she met me, but that was really, really early stages of my career – I’d released like one hit single, and I was playing her Jubilee,” he explained. “But I was next to a really famous comedian who cracked a joke while she was shaking my hand, so I’ve got this picture of her like delighted to see me.”

He continued: “I remember Kylie [Minogue] taking me over to the Queen and being like, ‘This is Ed Sheeran’ and the Queen being like [shrugs] and then hearing the joke and then laughing, and that was the picture.”

Colbert also asked Sheeran about the giant marble statue of a human penis that he gifted to Sam Smith, showing the audience a photo.

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Smith previously spoke about the gift during their appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“It’s actually wild – I thought it was a joke, but it’s a six-foot-two marble penis… It’s two tonnes, and I’m going to have to get it craned into my house.”

The singer went on to explain that they “want to turn it into a fountain” – predictably eliciting an emphatic response from Clarkson and her audience – before telling the host that they’re not even the first of Sheeran’s colleagues to be gifted with a giant statue of a penis. “He gives people concrete penises. I’m not the first – Elton got the first.”

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Ed Sheeran says his ‘Mathematics’ tour will land in the US eventually

“I think we’re gonna announce by the end of the year,” Sheeran said about a potential North American tour. “We’re basically finalising a route now.”

“I’m super excited to bring this tour, it’s an insane-looking tour,” Sheeran continued. “We basically planned it from the end of the ‘÷’ tour, because it was sort of well-publicised that it was the most people had gone to this tour, so I was like if we come back, we have to do all bells and whistles. The stage is nuts… there are fireworks and flames, there’s a band, it’s a whole thing.”

The singer-songwriter also gave a hint at what US audiences can expect from the upcoming shows. “You go on tour, for my first album, I basically just played my first album live. And my second album was like little bits of both, and my third album was little bits of both, whereas this one the setlist is pretty much just songs people know,” Sheeran said.

Host James Corden then asked Sheeran – who was sat next to fellow guest, actor Vin Diesel – what three tracks will likely remain staples in his setlist for the rest of his career: ‘Perfect’, ‘Bad Habits’, and ‘Shape Of You’, he answered.

Meanwhile, Sheeran and two of his songwriting partners, Steven McCutcheon and Snow Patrol’s John McDaid, have been awarded £900,000 in legal costs following a High Court copyright win.

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The three artists – who worked together on Sheeran’s 2017 single ‘Shape Of You’ – had been accused of lifting from a song, ‘Oh Why’, by musicians Sami Chokri (aka Sami Switch) and Ross O’Donoghue. The pair claimed Sheeran’s song featured “particular lines and phrases” similar to their own song, calling him “a magpie”.

Sheeran, McCutcheon and McDaid denied accusations of plagiarism, with the former saying in his testimony on March 7: “I have always tried to be completely fair in crediting anyone who makes any contribution to any song I write.” McDaid, in his testimony, called the idea of plagiarism “abhorrent”.

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Camila Cabello announces new single ‘Bam Bam’ with Ed Sheeran

“Bam Bam. March 4th with @teddysphotos, one of my favorite people and artists ever,” she captioned the post. “Also my bday is the day before so triple win.”

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A post shared by camila (@camila_cabello)

The new song follows 2021’s ‘Don’t Go Yet’ and ‘Oh Na Na’, the latter of which featured Myke Towers and Tainy. Both tracks are also set to feature on ‘Familia’.

Announcing her third solo album last year, Cabello said the record was inspired by spending more time with her family during the COVID-19 lockdowns – an experience that helped her return to her Latin roots.

“I want it to be that kind of family affair selfishly, because it would make me happy,” she told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “It would make my life better and that’s what I want, so that’s really what I was trying to manifest with this whole album.”

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She added: “‘Don’t Go Yet’ is just I think sonically and melodically, just me being free. I think being in Miami for so long and having more family around me and speaking Spanish more made me feel, I don’t know, just kind of brought me back. I think my roots went deeper in a way that I really needed. And I think this album for me was a manifestation. The name of my album is ‘Familia’.”

Meanwhile, in September, the singer put a sultry spin on Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single ‘Good 4 U’ during a session in BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Instead of the pop-punk energy possessed by the original, Cabello gave the song a Latin twist.

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Ed Sheeran announces new warm up shows ahead of UK tour

“These are very low key shows where I get to try out all the new tunes before taking them into the stadiums. Some nights there will be mistakes. But that is where the fun starts.”

You can see the new dates, plus all the other dates of Sheeran’s upcoming tour, here:

MARCH 2022
21 – Electric Ballroom, London (new date)
22 – Electric Ballroom, London (new date)
23 – Electric Ballroom, London (new date)
25 – Concorde 2, Brighton (new date)
26 – Concorde 2, Brighton (new date)
31 – Alexandra Palace Theatre, London (new date)

APRIL 2022
1 – Alexandra Palace Theatre, London (new date)
23 – Croke Park, Dublin
24 – Croke Park, Dublin
28 – Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork
29 – Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork

MAY 2022
5 – Thomond Park, Limerick
6 – Thomond Park, Limerick
12 – Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast
13 – Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast
26 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
27 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
3 – Stadium of Light, Sunderland
4 – Stadium of Light, Sunderland
10 – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
11 – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
12 – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
16 – Hampden Park, Glasgow
17 – Hampden Park, Glasgow
24 – Wembley Stadium, London
29 – Wembley Stadium, London
30 – Wembley Stadium, London

JULY 2022
1 – Wembley Stadium, London
7 – Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
14 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
15 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
22 – King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
29 – Stade De France, Paris, France

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AUGUST 2022
4 – Øresundsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
10 – Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
20 – Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
25 – PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland

SEPTEMBER 2022
1 – Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
10 – Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
16 – Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
23 – Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany

On February 8, Sheeran teamed up with the metal group for a reworked version of his 2021 track ‘Bad Habits’ to open the BRIT Awards 2022.

The pair also teased a studio release of the song, after Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes shared a FaceTime call he had with Sheeran in which the pair discuss their live performance and an upcoming release of the song.

That version arrived earlier today (February 17), with the pair releasing an alternative studio version of ‘Bad Habits’.

Speaking about the new track, Sheeran said: “I really enjoyed the show last week and I think people will really like the new version. Excited to get it out.”

Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes added: “From receiving the email asking whether we’d like to open the brits with Ed Sheeran to us chatting and bouncing ideas to rehearsing and then performing and now releasing, this has needless to say been pretty mental.

“But we are all about pushing the boundaries of our own and other genres, so this felt like the perfect challenge.”

Released in June 2021, the original version of ‘Bad Habits’ spent 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the UK chart, becoming the longest-running consecutive Number One of last year.

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Bring Me The Horizon and Ed Sheeran release new version of ‘Bad Habits’

Sykes said: “There are so many people asking for like a studio version,” to which Sheeran replied: “We have to get one out”, while Sheeran added: “We’ll get Jordan and the lads on it and I’ll get the vocals in. Make sure it goes proper death growl at the end!”

Now, their alternative version of the track has been released. You can listen to the song – and see its accompanying visualiser, below.

Ed Sheeran and Bring Me The Horizon’s artwork for ‘Bad Habits’ – CREDIT: Press

Speaking about the new version of the track, Sheeran said: “I really enjoyed the show last week and I think people will really like the new version. Excited to get it out.”

Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes added: “From receiving the email asking whether we’d like to open the brits with Ed Sheeran to us chatting and bouncing ideas to rehearsing and then performing and now releasing, this has needless to say been pretty mental.

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“But we are all about pushing the boundaries of our own and other genres, so this felt like the perfect challenge.”

Released in June 2021, the original version of ‘Bad Habits’ spent 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the UK chart, becoming the longest-running consecutive Number One of last year.

Meanwhile, Bring Me The Horizon will perform the closing set at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.

The awards will return to London’s O2 Academy Brixton on Wednesday, March 2 to celebrate the best in music and entertainment from around the globe. Tickets to the event are on sale now and available here.

“To be honest we’re surprised we’ve even been asked back at all!” said Sykes. “What a huge honour it is to be asked to close the prestigious NME Awards show, we’re literally buzzing.”

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Bring Me The Horizon and Ed Sheeran to release their collaborative version of ‘Bad Habits’

Sheeran said “that show was nuts,” while Sykes added: “I’ve never had so much adrenaline pumping through me.”

Sykes continued: “There are so many people asking for like a studio version,” to which Sheeran replied: “We have to get one out.”

Sheeran added: “We’ll get Jordan and the lads on it and I’ll get the vocals in. Make sure it goes proper death growl at the end!”

You can check out the clip here:

sHaLL wE Dr0p thIS tHen @eDsHEeRAn?
PrE-SaVE https://t.co/S6sojneIVU pic.twitter.com/qGyPQI975f

— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) February 14, 2022

Last week (February 10), Sheeran revealed that he was soon heading into the studio with Bring Me The Horizon.

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Speaking to The Daily Star (via The List), Sheeran said that getting to perform with Bring Me The Horizon was “a dream” and they’re now “going to write a song together”.

“I got in touch with [Sykes] and we were going to write together but then the pandemic happened, so we were in touch – I’ve been a fan for a long time,” he said. “Oddly enough, that’s the kind of music I grew up listening to.”

Elsewhere in the interview Sheeran said: “’Bad Habits’ would be a bit of a wet fart if I was just going up there [at the BRITs] and playing it normally. The song is EDM, and [Bring Me The Horizon have] took it and made it a whole new thing. I was just like, ‘You know what, these guitars are going to be great’.”

Bring Me The Horizon will perform the closing set at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.

The awards will return to London’s O2 Academy Brixton on Wednesday, March 2 to celebrate the best in music and entertainment from around the globe. Tickets to the event are on sale now and available here.

“To be honest we’re surprised we’ve even been asked back at all!” said Sykes. “What a huge honour it is to be asked to close the prestigious NME Awards show, we’re literally buzzing.”

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Ed Sheeran and Bring Me The Horizon team up to open the BRIT Awards 2022

Sheeran will perform again later in the ceremony. Other performers due to take the stage include Dave, Little Simz, Sam Fender, Adele and Liam Gallagher.

can confirm this @edsheeran x @bmthofficial show opener is everything i wanted and somehow even more #BRITs

Watch now: https://t.co/ctmwJX9jb3 pic.twitter.com/Nw0LibmS7m

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) February 8, 2022

BMTH with Ed Sheeran at the Brits WOW 🥵 #bmth #brits2022 pic.twitter.com/QaUzqhEBjZ

— Sophie Palmer (@sophiexox_) February 8, 2022

“Ed Sheeran & Bring me the Horizon is a mix I did not know I needed,” one Twitter user wrote after the performance ended.

Ed Sheeran & Bring me the Horizon is a mix I did not know I needed #BRITs

— jessica (@jessgregory_x) February 8, 2022

“@edsheeran and @bmthofficial collating on the #brits I’m impressed,” another said. “Love it and this needs to be a release.”

@edsheeran and @bmthofficial collabing on the #brits I'm impressed…love it and this needs to be a release

— Emma:) (@Emmaaaaaa90) February 8, 2022

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“ed sheeran und oliver sykes opening the brits singing bad habits is not how i saw tonight going but here we are and it’s lit,” said another. See more reactions below.

ed sheeran und oliver sykes opening the brits singing bad habits is not how i saw tonight going but here we are and it’s lit

— schlots (acapella version) (@sockenpolizei) February 8, 2022

#BRITs Did I rlly just watch BMTH open the Brits with Ed Sheeran???😮

— katharina (@kathatommo) February 8, 2022

How can we make Ed Sheeran bearable the Brits asked?

Just add BMTH, guwaaaan Sheffield

— Nicole 🌼 (@kneecoal_) February 8, 2022

#BRITS Everyone watching @olobersyko sitting behind Ed Sheeran on stage like: pic.twitter.com/Kmj5olXw2V

— 💉💉💉💪Chris Murray (@chrismurray00) February 8, 2022

Did anyone else have Oli Sykes screaming with Ed Sheeran at the Brits on the 2022 bingo card?

— Nicole (@nicolebuzzx) February 8, 2022

Adele, Little Simz, Dave and Ed Sheeran led the nominations going into the BRIT Awards 2022 with four nods apiece. Holly Humberstone was named the recipient of the Rising Star Award in the weeks before the ceremony, while the first award of the night was handed out to Adele for ‘Easy On Me’ for Song Of The Year. Keep up with all of the winners as they happen here. 

This year’s BRIT Awards nominations list features the most female nominees in over a decade. Across the 13 categories, 18 female artists or all-women groups were nominated – just a few short of the 22 female acts who were given nods in 2010.

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Raffle for Ed Sheeran’s guitar raises over £50k for primary school in his hometown

Tickets were priced at £5 with 10,553 sold in over 160 countries across the world. The winner of the prize was Kellie Myers and her two young sons from Ipswich who are currently learning to play guitar.

“I’m so excited! I’m thrilled and delighted to have won,” Myers said of her win. “The guitar is beautiful. My boys have been learning to play for a couple of years now. As a family we adore Ed. He really supports our community and local charities. GeeWizz is an amazing charity and they’ve been doing a lot for the local community, so we wanted to support them and Ed.”

Ed Sheeran wearing the Ipswich Town kit he donated to the charity raffle. CREDIT: Press

The singer-songwriter also donated three signed Ipswich Town Football Club 2021-22 home shirts for three runners-up in the raffle. These went to Rossignol Sylvianne from France, Chris Noakes from Essex and Justin Taite from Canada.

Meanwhile, Sheeran‘s ‘Shape Of You’ has become the first song to reach three billion streams on Spotify.

The song, taken from the pop star’s third album ‘÷ (Divide)’, reached the milestone on Wednesday (December 22) – after initially being released on the streaming service back in January, 2017.

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Speaking on the achievement in a video shared by Spotify (see below), Sheeran said he couldn’t be more “chuffed” about the news, calling it, “absolutely insane”, before discussing the origin of the song.

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Ed Sheeran sings in Yorùbá on the remix of Fireboy DML’s ‘Peru’

Earlier today (December 23), Fireboy dropped another tweet teasing the accompanying music video to the remix.

“peru” official music video | 24th of December, 3pm 🇳🇬/ 2pm 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/djJbt0eqVQ

— Fireboy DML (@fireboydml) December 22, 2021

Sheeran, as reported by RNN, confirmed his work with Fireboy in an interview with Elton John on the Rocket Hour, where he said he found ‘Peru’ “really intriguing”. “I recorded a verse for it… and it’s a song that’s blowing up in Nigeria and Ghana at the moment and their club scene runs over Christmas,” he explained. “So you basically put a song to the club in the middle of December, which would seem a weird thing to do in England.”

Sheeran affirmed the upcoming track is “an earworm, and it’s addictive”, adding: “I’m obsessed with it. I mean, Cherry [Sheeran’s wife] will tell you, I’ve had this song on repeat constantly in the house for the last week.”

An official music video featuring the pair premieres on Christmas Eve (December 24).

‘Peru’ originally dropped back in July and became a hit song in many countries, particularly Ghana and Nigeria. To date, Fireboy has released two studio albums, ‘Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps’ and ‘Apollo’ in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the 25-year-old R&B artist dropping from them a slew of singles, such as ‘Eli’, ‘Tattoo’ and ‘New York City Girl’.

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In recent Sheeran news, the artist’s 2017 ‘Divide’ cut ‘Shape of You’ became the first song to hit three billion streams on Spotify, a feat the pop star called “absolutely insane”.

“[‘Shape Of You’] wasn’t really meant to make the album,” Sheeran said, ” I wanted ‘Castle On The Hill’ to be the single. We put both songs out at once and… I was wrong. Here we are with ‘Shape of You’ at three billion.”

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Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ becomes first song to hit three billion streams on Spotify

“[‘Shape Of You’] wasn’t really meant to make the album,” he explained, “but when I finished making the song, Ben Cook, from my label, said it had to be a single – but I wanted ‘Castle On The Hill’ to be the single. We put both songs out at once and… I was wrong. Here we are with ‘Shape of You’ at three billion.”

This isn’t Sheeran’s first Spotify milestone, as several of his hits have crossed the one billion streams mark including ‘Castle On The Hill’, ‘Happier’, ‘Galway Girl’, ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Beautiful People’, earning their spots on Spotify’s Billions Club playlist.

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A post shared by Spotify (@spotify)

Sheeran recently released a festive collaborative single with Elton John, ‘Merry Christmas’. Proceeds from the track go towards the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

In a three-star review, NME described the song as “a nice, safe, mid-paced sleigh ride through lyrics simple enough for your young relatives to recite, and sleepy enough to ensure your Nan doesn’t spill her eggnog.”

The two stars also teamed up with festive chart-topper LadBaby for the track ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’.

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The novelty duo – comprised of YouTuber Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne – have topped the festive charts on three consecutive years with ‘We Built This City’ (2018), ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’ (2019) and ‘Don’t Stop Me Eatin’’ (2020).

All profits from this year’s song will go towards the Trussell Trust’s mission to support those in poverty and hunger.

Elsewhere, Sheeran donated a guitar made for his recent album to help a primary school in his hometown.

“There is not another guitar like this,” Sheeran said (via BBC News). “This is the guitar that gets sent to me to check that all the other guitars are all right – it says prototype in it.

“To win this, it’s a £5 raffle which goes to charity. It’s going to build a music centre at a primary school near me, which I’m really excited about.”

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ABBA, Adele and Ed Sheeran cause 15 per cent increase in CD sales

Sheeran’s ‘=’ topped the UK album chart on November 5 with sales of 139,107, which included 78,263 compact discs sold.

ABBA’s ‘Voyage’, the Swedish group’s first album in 40 years, shifted over 204,000 chart sales in the first seven days of sale last month, earning the fastest-selling vinyl of the century in the process (29,891 copies). However, its sales of CDs across multiple editions were almost five times greater: 148,471.

Adele’s new album ’30’ shot straight to the top of the UK album’s chart on November 26, becoming the fastest-selling record of 2021 so far after clocking up 261,000 sales. While she too earned an impressive vinyl tally (16,700), her CD sales were colossal, selling 158,772 copies in just seven days.

As a result, Adele helped to lift the overall CD market that week to 520,380, a year-on-year increase of 41.3 per cent.

Taylor Swift has also contributed to the rise in CD sales. CREDIT: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Research revealed that the first four weeks of Q4 (chart weeks 40-43) saw sales of CDs suffer a year-on-year decline of 5.2 per cent. However, from week 44, there were year-on-year increases in CD volumes in every one of the following five chart weeks, resulting in the format achieving a 25.6 per cent year-on-year increase in chart weeks 44-48.

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The Q4 snapshot revealed that CD sales are up 14.7 per cent to 2,940,466 over the nine chart weeks so far in the quarter (weeks 40-48).

Other key releases that have contributed to the increase in CD sales in Q4 include Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’, Coldplay’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’, Elton John’s ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, Taylor Swift’s ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’, and Little Mix‘s greatest hits album ‘Between Us’.

“This year’s Q4 line-up is the strongest it’s been in recent memory,” HMV & Fopp MD Phill Halliday told Music Week. “There really is a huge new release that caters to everyone, with Adele, Ed Sheeran, Little Mix, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and ABBA all bringing out records that their respective fanbases are very excited for. We’re expecting a huge improvement on last Christmas in both footfall and sales.”

The CD revival comes as the format is set for its 40th anniversary for music releases in 2022.

Last month, reports emerged that more than 500,000 copies of Adele’s long-awaited new album ’30’ had been pressed on vinyl – causing a huge backlog and problems in the production line for others wishing to get LPs manufactured with the world’s limited resources.

Figures from the music industry spoke to NME about what’s really causing the delays in manufacturing vinyl and artists getting their albums made, arguing that the blame does not lie at the feet of Adele.

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Ed Sheeran “didn’t expect that much backlash” over ‘Game Of Thrones’ cameo

“Everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show; they asked me to be in it. I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely more careful when I am offered cameos now.”

Shortly after the episode aired, Sheeran deleted his Twitter account but claimed it had nothing to do with criticism.

While Sheeran’s character Eddie didn’t appear onscreen again, his fate was discussed during season eight. Apparently he was present at Battle of the Goldroad and while he survived this encounter with Daenerys Targaryen, his face was burned by her dragon Drogon, leaving him without eyelids.

Sheeran released his fourth album ‘Equals’ last week (October 29) but slept through the launch, thanks to a “pretty gnarly” bout of coronavirus.

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In a three-star review of the record, NME said: “So, ‘=’ adds up to another album on which Sheeran comes off like a millennial Lionel Richie – namely, a very gifted singer-songwriter who’s sometimes sunk by his saccharine streak.

“When Sheeran gets a Glastonbury legends slot in 25 or 30 years’ time, he’ll probably nail it as Richie did in 2015 with a joyous procession of gold-plated hits. But for now, his persistent bad habits make this album a little less enjoyable than it could be.”

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Ed Sheeran announces intimate London show this Christmas

Billed as ‘Ed Sheeran’s Merry Christmas Gathering’, the intimate concert is in aid of the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation.

Just announced: Ed Sheeran's Merry Christmas Gathering 🎄
A one off show in support of the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation on the 13th of December.
For a chance to get access to buy tickets, pre-order '=' from the online store before November 3rd https://t.co/N6ztGZhmGn pic.twitter.com/uEUPY1M6WE

— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) October 27, 2021

The musician launched the ESSMF in 2019, aiming “to help young people under the age of 18, and living in Suffolk (UK), with small but useful grants to help with studying or playing music”.

The festive London show presents a rare opportunity to see Sheeran in a small venue (the church’s capacity is approximately 2000), with the singer due to perform four nights at the capital’s Wembley Stadium next summer.

Earlier this week, Sheeran previewed every song from the forthcoming ‘=’ on YouTube Shorts. He’s previously shared the singles ‘Bad Habits’, ‘Visiting Hours’ and ‘Shivers’.

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Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp recently revealed that the star already has another record in the can. “The material is there and it won’t be another four-year wait, I can promise you,” he said.

“Ed already knows what the next album is. He’s already got a track-listing for it, and I will get that changed over the next 12 months.”

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Ed Sheeran will hold planned performances from home after testing positive for COVID-19

“It means that I’m now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I’ll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I’ve let down. Be safe everyone x.”

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A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

 

It is currently unclear whether Sheeran will still be able to perform on SNL, which usually holds all of its musical appearances in its New York studio.

Earlier this month, the British star announced that he and Elton John were teaming up on a Christmas single. “It’s just me and him,” he said. “It’s great.”

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Speaking with NME for last week’s Big Read cover story, John confirmed that the festive release was in the works, but had been surprised that Sheeran had “let the cat out of the bag” about it. “I was sworn to secrecy and then big mouth fucking Sheeran goes to the Netherlands!” He said. “It’s supposed to come out – we haven’t finished it yet, so there’s still work to be done.”

Meanwhile, Sheeran’s latest single ‘Shivers’ replaced his previous release ‘Bad Habits’ at the top of the Official UK Singles Chart last month. Both tracks will feature on ‘=’.

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Ed Sheeran wants Elton John to knock him off the top of the UK singles chart

Sheeran himself has now backed John to secure his eighth UK number one single this week, writing on Instagram this afternoon (October 14): “Elton John is so close to knocking me off the #1 spot in the U.K.

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A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

“It will be his first number one in almost 20 years and I really want it to happen.”

Sheeran added: “Please go buy/stream/download ‘Cold Heart’ with Dua Lipa now. 15 weeks at #1 was more than I ever expected anyway, love you all.

“Who doesn’t wanna be knocked off by Elton anyway?”

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John, who set a new UK charts record recently after ‘Cold Heart’ entered the top 10, is set to team up with Sheeran for a joint Christmas single this year.

“Elton rang me on Christmas Day to say Merry Christmas. Elton rings me almost every single day,” Sheeran told the Dutch radio station NPO Radio 2 earlier this month. “He said, ‘‘Step Into Christmas’ is number six in the charts! I want to do another Christmas song – will you do it with me?’”

Of what to expect from the song, Sheeran said: “It’s just me and him. It’s great.”

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Ed Sheeran and Craig David announced for 2021 KISS Haunted House Party

Kicking off on October 25 and ending a week later on October 31, each night will see a performance air from 8:00pm via the KISS Kube app. The finale will be presented by KISS Breakfast’s Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on Halloween night.

It's time for KISS Haunted House Party 2021 with @NandosUK 👻

We're bringing you a full week of treats, every night from 8pm – starting Monday 25th October 🎃

Download the KISS Kube app & get ready, it's gonna be HUGE!#KISSHaunted pic.twitter.com/bauYCSFPUY

— KISS FM (@KissFMUK) October 4, 2021

“Imagine getting invited to the biggest music event of the year but it’s on your phone and you don’t need to queue for a drink?! It’s happening!” Jordan said. “The artists are getting competitive over costumes already, and are busy planning their creative performances.”

Perri added: “We can’t wait to get together with the rest of the KISS fam for the finale too. Been way too long since we all got together so it’s going to be a special one. See you there.”

Last week, Sheeran announced that even more new dates have been added to his 2022 UK and Ireland stadium tour.

Sheeran’s ‘+ – = ÷ x Tour’ – pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’ – was announced last month, and multiple dates sold out when tickets first went on sale.

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After a fourth show at London’s Wembley Stadium was added to the run at the weekend, more extra dates in a number of cities including Manchester, Dublin and Belfast, have now also been added to the tour.

Meanwhile, Sheeran and Years & Years are among the artists who will perform live during Radio City Hits Live next month.

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Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Emily Eavis pay tribute to booking agent Steve Strange, who has died

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Ed Sheeran adds fourth Wembley Stadium date to 2022 world tour

A fourth Wembley date is now on sale here for June 24, joining other shows on June 29 and 30, and July 1.

Ed Sheeran. CREDIT: Atlantic Records

See Ed Sheeran’s full updated list of ‘+ – = ÷ x Tour’ dates below:

MAY 2022
5 – Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland
12 – Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast
26 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
27 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff

JUNE 2022
3 – Stadium of Light, Sunderland
4 – Stadium of Light, Sunderland
10 – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
11 – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
16 – Hampden Park, Glasgow
17 – Hampden Park, Glasgow
24 – Wembley Stadium, London (new date)
29 – Wembley Stadium, London
30 – Wembley Stadium, London

JULY 2022
1 – Wembley Stadium, London
7 – Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
14 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
15 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
22 – King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
29 – Stade De France, Paris, France

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AUGUST 2022
4 – Øresundsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
10 – Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
20 – Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
25 – PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland

SEPTEMBER 2022
1 – Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
10 – Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
16 – Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
23 – Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany

Sheeran’s latest single’ Shivers’, which is set to feature on ‘=’, was released earlier this month (September 10) and went on to replace his previous single ‘Bad Habits’ at the top of the UK singles chart last Friday (September 17).

Watch Sheeran perform both ‘Shivers’ and ‘Bad Habits’ live from the 2021 MTV VMAs here.

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Ed Sheeran calls award shows “horrible” and says they often leave him “feeling sad”

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Ed Sheeran gave Elton John a “giant marble penis” for his birthday

Asked where he keeps it, John replied: “I suggested to [husband] David [Furnish] that I should put it in the garden. And he said, ‘No, we have children.’” Now, the statue is “hidden in an area in the house where” the pair’s two young sons won’t see it.

He added: “But it’s a beautifully-made penis. What can I tell you? What do you buy the man who has everything? A beautiful marble penis!”

The marble statue isn’t the first time an artist has bought John a penis-related gift. In 2017, the ‘Tiny Dancer’ singer shared that Eminem gave him a pair of diamond-encrusted cock rings in celebration of his civil partnership with David Furnish back in 2006.

Elton John and Eminem in 2001. CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Elsewhere during the interview, John recalled speaking to Sheeran about his fashion sense and how he asked Donatella Versace to smarten up the singer’s famously scruffy appearance, which included making the pink suit he wore in his ‘Bad Habits’ video.

“I said, ‘Ed, listen. You’ve worn the baggy shirts and the trousers and it’s got you so far but it’s now time to make a change,’” John said. “About a year and a half ago, I fixed him up with Donatella Versace and got him some stuff.”

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Meanwhile, Sheeran debuted two new tracks during an intimate show in Coventry on Wednesday (August 25).

The singer-songwriter, who will release his fifth album ‘=’ in October, performed at the city’s 1500-capacity HMV Empire in celebration of the music retailer’s 100th birthday.

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Cradle Of Filth’s Dani Filth hints at future Ed Sheeran collaboration

“No no, it’s true!” he insisted after host Sophie K questioned his sincerity. “He actually touched base with me. I’ve been invited up to his place. Well, he said he could come down to mine, but I pointed out to him that I don’t own my own bar or village, and it’d be better if I went there. He said he’d do anything. Quite literally. He said he’s a massive fan. He seems like a genuinely very nice guy actually.”

Cradle of Filth – Credit: Getty

He added: “I think the Ed Sheeran collaboration would be great fun. I think it’d be great if we did it for charity because at least it would bring a bit of credibility to it. Because obviously to his public, it’d be like ‘Oh my god, he’s got this weird comical guy’, and to my public, it’d be like ‘Oh my god, this is a bit weird, isn’t it?’ But I think that sort of thing, nowadays, works.”

Filth initially responded to Sheeran’s comments about potentially stepping into the metal world last month by saying: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end,” he added. “‘Dracula’s Castle On The Hill’ anyone?”

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Meanwhile, last year Cradle Of Filth announced they were set to release their own brand of “satanic” teas. The Suffolk metal band said they came up with the concept of the teas whilst recording their upcoming album after they were “provided with some fine-tasting satanic teas” from a company called Pitch Black North.

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