Ed Sheeran’s eighth studio album, Play, arrives after a difficult period for the singer-songwriter. His two previous projects, Subtract and Autumn Variations, were more introspective and sold modestly compared with earlier successes, leaving Sheeran with something to prove.
The album opens with a candid track, simply titled Opening, where Sheeran acknowledges his career uncertainties: “When your career’s in a risky place / Everything seems like a big mistake.” It sets the tone for a record that blends personal reflection with broader efforts to re-engage mainstream audiences.
In press notes, Sheeran described Play as “a direct response to the darkest period of my life,” explaining that he wanted to create “joy and technicolour” while drawing inspiration from cultures he encountered on tour. That ambition surfaces in collaborations with musicians from India and the Middle East, including sitar, tabla, santoor, and kanjira players.
The cross-cultural influence is most apparent on Symmetry, a rhythm-driven track accented with Gujarati drums and the sharp twang of the bouzouki. On Sapphire, widely regarded as the album’s highlight, Sheeran duets with Indian superstar Arijit Singh, exchanging verses in English, Hindi, and Punjabi. Sheeran even traveled to Singh’s hometown to learn the Punjabi lyrics.
Despite these efforts, many of the global influences are woven into Sheeran’s familiar pop template rather than reshaping it. Tracks such as Azizam, built around a santur riff, and Don’t Look Down, pairing bansuri flute with trance beats, hint at more adventurous possibilities but ultimately return to his trademark style.
Elsewhere, Sheeran falls back on familiar territory. Songs like Camera and In Other Words revisit themes of devotion and domestic intimacy, while A Little More delivers a sharper edge, calling out a former friend in unusually blunt terms. References to media scrutiny and past plagiarism cases briefly surface but remain underexplored.
Lyrical repetition also lingers. On Symmetry, Sheeran revives the “magnet” metaphor from his 2017 hit Shape of You, a callback that risks feeling more tired than clever. Still, his instinct for melody remains intact, giving the album a steady appeal for his core audience.
For casual listeners, Play may feel like a missed opportunity to push further into the global sounds Sheeran has clearly embraced in his travels. For fans, it is a polished, accessible record that confirms his knack for writing songs that resonate widely, even if they stop short of reinvention.
