Listen: Ed Sheeran is back with new song, The Afterglow

Ed Sheeran has returned with a new single, The Afterglow, his first new music in close to 18 months. Take a listen to it above.

Sheeran on Sunday (20 December) teased new music as a “Christmas present” to fans through social media. Launching the single yesterday (21 December), the 29-year-old singer-songwriter offered a brief explanation of The Afterglow’s background in a message to fans over Instagram. According to him, the new release is not the first single from his next album, but a song he’s excited to drop nonetheless.

“Hey guys. Afterglow is a song I wrote last year that I wanted to release for you,” Sheeran wrote. “It’s not the first single from the next album, it’s just a song I love, and hope you love too. Enjoy! Have a safe and happy festive break and New Year’s. Back to dad land for me now, ciao.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJDqyfehj-T/

Sheeran’s last release was 2019’s No.6 Collaborations Project, his fourth studio album. The record was a star-studded affair, with musical contributions from the likes of Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Camila Cabello and many more.

In 2019, Sheeran announced he was taking a break from music after having been going “a bit non-stop since 2017”. The singer-songwriter promised to return with new music “when the time is right,” after he’s “lived a little more to actually have something to write about”.

This year, a copy of his first demo disc, Spinning Man, sold at auction for £50k. The CD consisted 14 songs, performed by a 13-year-old Sheeran and was one of roughly 20 copies ever printed.

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