Dialing Up the Feels: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Old Phone’ Unlocks a Decade of Memories and Heartache

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Ed Sheeran is pulling at heartstrings again with his new single "Old Phone," a soulful ballad to memory, loss, and bittersweet beauty of rediscovery. Out May 1, "Old Phone" is more than a record-it's an opening into Sheeran's own history and a preview of his eagerly awaited eighth studio album, "Play," which releases on September 12.

Key Highlights:

Song with a Story: Sheeran penned "Old Phone" after discovering his retired 2015 phone full of messages from friends and loved ones-some of whom are no longer alive, others well out of touch. The process of scrolling through the memories produced waves of nostalgia and heartache, that leap and pulse throughout the song's lyrics and melody.
Exclusive Fan Connection: To bring the song to reality, Sheeran constructed a pop-up pub in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where he called on fans to share their personal old phone stories. The Emil Nava-directed music video takes these personal experiences and combines them into a collaborative celebration of days gone by.
Raw and Reflective: Sheeran penned the song at 2 a.m. in India, preserving the spontaneity of emotion that is associated with late-night introspection. He calls "Old Phone" a song that might have been on his first album, but one that only now is possible with the richness of lived experience.
Album 'Play' Teaser: "Old Phone" precedes the single "Azizam," and both tracks hint at the mood of "Play"-an album Sheeran describes as playful, exploratory, and a tribute to the messiness and color of life, worked on worldwide and completed in Goa, India.

With "Old Phone," Sheeran welcomes listeners back into their own recollections, offering more genuine storytelling when "Play" comes around.

Sources: Deseret News, Rolling Stone, Rayo