Singer Ed Sheeran recently shared that his wife, Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with a tumour when she was pregnant with their second child.
To announce his new album, in a diary entry photographed by Annie Liebowitz and posted to the singer’s Twitter account, the UK singer-songwriter shared that the series of happenings last year changed his life, including the events with his wife Seaborn.
He was affected mentally and viewed music and art in a different way.
Sheeran On Seaborn
“Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route for treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter,” Sheeran wrote on his wife, Seaborn.
In February 2022, music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards died aged 31, with his last Instagram post being a birthday message to Sheeran, his “brother.”
“Shape of You,” Sheeran’s hit 2017 song, led the musician to court last year as he was accused of plagiarising grime artist Sami Switch’s song “Oh Why.” He won the case in April 2022.
“I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety,” the artist continued. “I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking but not being able to break through for air.”
“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 out 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.”
Writing music is his therapy
Despite Subtract being a decade in the making, Sheeran said he replaced the work with his “deepest, darkest thoughts” in just over a week in wake of what happened in his life early last year.
“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings,” he said.
“I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out.”
This week Sheeran was in Melbourne as part of his The Mathematics Tour across Australia and New Zealand.
On Tuesday, the star made a surprise visit to meet St Kilda AFL players ahead of his two shows at the MCG on Thursday and Friday.
He also visited the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday to perform for patients and staff.
His new album reflects his life
Subtract is the latest instalment of Sheeran’s mathematics-themed albums which will be released on May 5.
“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 wrote.
NOTE: Ed Sheeran’s photo above is from WIKIPEDIA