Eyes Closed - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran marks the beginning of his most personal work in a decade with 'Eyes Closed'

Ed Sheeran has released a new single, "Eyes Closed," as the lead track from his upcoming album "Subtract." The release marks a notable shift for Sheeran, as the track does not sound like the club bangers that he has been releasing as lead album singles in recent years. Sheeran's debut single, "The A Team," was released in 2011, and it marked the start of his journey to becoming the biggest pop star in the world. Sheeran's storytelling abilities, coupled with his ability to convert his acoustic sound into a production made for stadiums, have made him a fan favorite.

The follow-up to "The A Team" was an album titled "+," which was mostly made up of slow acoustic tracks. Sheeran's music has evolved since then, and his lead singles in recent years have been "Sing," "Shape of You," "I Don't Care," and "Bad Habits," which are all designed to get people moving in the club. However, Sheeran's latest releases feel like a notable shift, as they are much rawer and more stripped-back.

Sheeran has been working on "Subtract" for a few years now, and the idea behind the album was always to return to his roots. The name "Subtract" is a reference to the album's stripped-back sound, as Sheeran wanted to subtract the elements of production that have been added to his recent albums. The album was ready to be released early last year, but Sheeran's life took a drastic turn when he lost his best friend and found out that his wife had a tumor. These events, combined with the stress of fighting a copyright case in court, caused Sheeran to put the album on hold.

After a year of dealing with depression and grief, Sheeran began working on the album again with producer Aaron Dressner, who also worked on Taylor Swift's "Folklore" and "Evermore." Sheeran's new album is expected to be a raw window into the realities he has faced over the past year. "Eyes Closed" is a marker for the direction of the album, which is set to be released on May 5th.