- 2021-08-20
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MUSIC
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Ed Sheeran Announces New Album “=”, Premieres New Song “Visiting Hours”
British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran announced his fifth studio album “=” (pronounced “Equals”) would be released on Ocotber 29, 2021.
“'=' (Equals) is a really personal record and one that means a lot to me,” Ed Sheeran said in a staemant. “My life changed greatly over the past few years – I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album. I see it as my coming-of-age record, and I can't wait to share this next chapter with you.”
From the album, he shared a new song “Visiting Hours” along with a music video on August 20, 2021.
It was written by ROBOTSCOTT, Michael Pollack, Kim Lang Smith, Johnny McDaid, Ant Clemons, Amy Wadge and Ed Sheeran. The video was directed by Dan Massie.
Ed Sheeran made the song for his mentor and friend, Australian music impresario Michael Gudinski, who was best known as the founder of Mushroom Records and died on March 2, 2021.
Ed Sheeran performed the song at Michael Gudinski's Memorial Service back in March.
“The next song off of it is called Visiting Hours, which I finished for my friend Michael who sadly passed away this year,” he said of the song. “In lockdown, I was able to have a guitar for quarantine. I always find the best way to process stuff is to write songs — be it good news, bad news, or whatever, and, yeah — here's a song I finished last week.”- t3CoEyYEf4A
- t3CoEyYEf4A
- t3CoEyYEf4A
He shared on social media, “It's so hard to put into words how much Michael meant to me, and to all of us who knew him. I felt like I needed to try just so I could process it in my own head. Michael was a tornado of joy. You would know he arrive in the building just by hearing the chaotic bark of his, and you could feel the room get excited about the arrival of his presence. He was such a force, and would make everyone feel like they were the most important person to him. He had a way with words, that most people couldn't understand. We always joked he needed a translator because of the pure speed in which he would talk in a tick growing Aussie accent. But his passion was always the thing you never needed translating, as you could feel it whenever he spoke.
He was a champion of up and coming artists, and would always play me his new singing, or even his new favorite unsigned act. He was as excited and proud about putting out a new release on Mushroom than he was about bringing legends of music like McCartney and Springsteen to tour his home country. His legacy is unmatchable, and will live on for hundreds of years. To me, and many others, he is the heart of Australian music, and always will be.”-
“We were, first and foremost, friends. He was a father figure and mentor to me, but also we enjoyed the peaks of our touring career together in 2018, braking the record for most tickets sold in Australia. He bought a giant ice sculpture to mark the occasion, which I found a strange thing to do in Australian summer. We holidayed many times with our families and together. We had late night, early morning talks, all over the world, from my house to his, from his hotel room to mine, in back of cars, planes, long walks. Every memory I have of him is so clear and precise, because every moment was electric.
When we finished the last tour, he asked me what I wanted as an end of tour gift. I said a life sized bronze statue of him, so I could always have a drink with him in my house, because he lived so far away.
A year later this statue turns up (in the second photo of us). Me and him have had a drink together with the statue many times and laughed about how ridiculous it is. The night he passed, I was very grateful to be able to share his favorite wine with him and say goodbye. And will be eternally grateful that I can now do this every night from now on. Nothing will fill the void he left in our lives, but the memories we all have of him will live on. He's everyone's favorite story, and I will make sure I keep sharing all of my amazing stories I have of him. I've loved hearing everyone else's this week. In between the tears there has been laughter and joy, remembering this Titan of a man.” - source : Spotify
