Ed SHEERAN “PLAY” ALBUM REVIEW
BY AMANI SOn September 12th, 2025, Ed Sheeran released the album, “Play.” This album focuses on the themes of grief, love, loss, and identity. It is an album that has emotional depth.
There are many highlights. My personal favorite is “Sapphire” which features Arjit Singh and is the first time I heard Ed Sheeran sing in hindi!
“You're glowing. You colour and fracture the light. You can't help but shine and I know that you carry the world on your back but look at you tonight!” Via genius.com
Old Phone is emotionally strong; it evokes nostalgia with minimalism and simplicity, moments where Sheeran’s singer‑songwriter roots shine through.
“I found my old phone today in a box that I had hidden away. Nostalgia tryin' to lead me astray. Maybe I'll unwrite some wrongs, I charged the battery again. Combinations 'cause my passcode had changed. Opened up and saw familiar names. Now I wonder where they've gone. Conversations with my dead friends, messages from all my exes. I kinda think that this was best left. In the past, where it belongs. I feel an overwhelming sadness of all the friends I do not have left. Seeing how my family has fractured. Growin' up and movin' on!” Via genius.com
Don’t Look Down (with Fred Again) leans towards electronic or EDM inflections, providing a refreshing shift in the tone. Opening, the first track, uses introspective lyrics, a bit of rap, vulnerability — it sets a tone for the mix of somber and uplifting that follows. Camera is another fun track! Heaven was a good song.
A song that fell flat was A Little More as it was not as catchy as Sapphire or Old Phone. Symmetry was not a strong song either. These two songs felt a bit slower and less catchy than the other songs on the album.
Overall the album was a blast to listen to and it was fun to hear new music from Ed Sheeran after awhile. I highly recommend giving this album a shot and adding it to your Spotify playlists to see for yourselves what ends up being your favorite.