Ed Sheeran Celebrates India on Rousing Single ‘Sapphire'
'Sapphire,' produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh, Johnny McDaid, and Savan Kotecha, showcases South-Asian percussion as Sheeran sings about passion with a lover. 'Touching on your body while you're pushing on me/ Don't you end the party I could do this all week/ We'll be dancing till the morning/ Go to bed we won't sleep,' he sings on the lively track.
More from Rolling Stone
iHeartRadio Music Festival 2025: Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, Mariah Carey to Perform
Elton John Calls U.K. Government 'Absolute Losers' Over A.I. Copyright Plans
Ed Sheeran Previews Collaboration With Dave Grohl, John Mayer
''Sapphire' was the first song i finished for Play that made me know where the album was heading,' Sheeran explained on Instagram. 'It's why I finished the recording process in Goa surrounded by some of the best musicians in India. It was an incredible creative process.' He added that he shot the music video while on tour in India because 'we wanted to showcase the beauty and breadth of the country and its culture.'
'The final jigsaw piece for me was getting @arijitsingh on the record, i'll make a post about that in a few days but it was a journey to get there and such an amazing day of music and family,' Sheeran added. 'Me and him have done a full Punjabi version of the song that will come out in the next few weeks, which has a lot more of him on it. This is the album version of the song, and my favourite song on the album. Hope you guys love it.'
Sheeran will unveil his next studio album, Play, on Sept. 12. 'Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life,' Sheeran shared in a statement. 'Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.' The LP was recorded in all the different locations the singer-songwriter visited and completed in Goa, India. It brought a lightness back to him, giving him some of 'the most fun, explorative creative days of my life.'
He first previewed the album with 'Azizam,' an upbeat, vibrant single about letting go on the dance floor, and has since shared 'Old Phone.' Play is the first installment in a new series of albums from Sheeran. It will be followed by Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop, continuing the tradition he started with Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, and Equals.
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'Limitless: Live Better Now' with Chris Hemsworth online
"Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth is all about facing the challenges life presents as we grow older but, in particular, cognitive decline. The Marvel actor takes on a series of challenges across three episodes (see below for details) to push himself to the edge and inspire us to follow suit. Here is how to watch "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth online from anywhere with a VPN. "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth lands with a full series drop on Disney+ and Hulu in the U.S. on Friday, August 15. It will also premiere on National Geographic on Monday, August 25th.• U.S. — Hulu (30-day FREE trial) / Disney Plus Bundle • Worldwide — Disney Plus• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN risk-free Cutting edge science plays a huge part in this docuseries, in part because (as he revealed in the first season of "Limitless") it helped reveal that he has inherited two copies of the APOE4 gene, one from his mother and one from his father, which makes it eight to ten times likelier for him to eventually develop Alzheimer's disease than the general population. He wants to prevent this, live a healthy life as long as possible and, in the meantime, show us how to do the same. Consequently, he learns how to play the drums before appearing with Ed Sheeran in front of 70,000 fans (learning a new skill being an excellent work out for the brain) and takes on a 600-foot climbing wall in the Swiss Alps to demonstrate risk and how to approach it. For fans of watching rich celebrities suffering, in episode three he joins the training camp of the South Korean Special Forces to experience varying degrees of pain and learn how to deal with it. And yes, of course, he takes his top off wherever possible but if you can put up with that then there might be a message at the end of this docuseries that's worth holding on to. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth online. "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth will be available to stream on Hulu from Friday, August 15 in the U.S.. Plans start from $9.99/month, and new users can get their first 30 days of Hulu absolutely FREE! You can subscribe to Hulu on its own or, for even better value, you can opt for the Disney Plus bundle from only $9.99/month. You can also add live sport with ESPN Plus for only five bucks more. And for anybody in the market for a full on cable replacement, all Hulu shows are included in the provider's Hulu + Live TV package. If "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth isn't streaming where you're currently located, that doesn't mean you have to miss the show while you're away from home. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you are. We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN you can get right now is NordVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. You can try it risk-free for 30 days if you take advantage of NordVPN's no-quibble money-back guarantee. NordVPN deal: 3 Months Extra Free Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN.✅ 3 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock Hulu and watch "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth online with our exclusive deal. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select a U.S. server from the location list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to your streaming service app — Hulu, for example — and watch "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth online from wherever you are in the world. "Limitless: Live Better Now" with Chris Hemsworth will be available to stream in Canada, the U.K. and Australia on Disney Plus from Friday, August 15. The Disney Plus price starts from CA$7.99/£4.99/AU$13.99/month. Chris Hemsworth: Self Elsa Pataky: Hemsworth's wife Sasha and Tristan: Hemsworth's twin boys Peter Attia: Longevity physician. Luke Zocchi: Hemsworth's trainer and friend BJ Miller: Pain expert Ross Edgley: Sports scientist Ben Gordon: Drummer from the band Parkway Drive Ed Sheeran: Musician Kim Dong-hyun: MMA fighter Robbie Maddison: Freestyle motocross legend Prof. Abigail Marsh: Neuroscientist Prof. Maya Shankar: Neuroscientist Tanya Streeter: Athlete. Steph Davis: Mountaineer/ solo-climber Part 1 - "Brain Power": Inspired by the benefits of learning a new skill, which aids memory and cognitive function, Chris Hemsworth takes up drumming. When he is invited to join Ed Sheeran onstage at a stadium concert, Chris has just months to master the instrument and conquer his nerves to perform in front of 70,000 fans. It's a challenge that pushes him beyond his limits. (Friday, August 15) Part 2 - "Risk": Chris Hemsworth pushes his limits by attempting to climb a 600-foot Alpine dam in the Swiss Alps. Inspired by his children's carefree risk-taking, Chris learns from experts how exposure therapy and Flow — a state of hyperfocus — can improve mental and physical health, showing how taking risks as adults can lead to a happier, healthier life. (Friday, August 15) Part 3 - "Pain": Chris Hemsworth sets out to confront his chronic pain in a bold, immersive journey through South Korea. Guided by pain expert Dr. BJ Miller, he explores ancient healing traditions and cutting-edge science. Chris faces 'pain valley' in the final test, a brutal gauntlet of Special Forces trials that will push him to his limits. (Friday, August 15) 'Making this series has been a life-changing journey. I've discovered so much about my own health, resilience and what it really means to live well... I hope this next chapter inspires audiences to step outside their comfort zones and embrace challenges, because the impact it's had on my life has been truly profound.' We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Announced as Special Guest on Travis Kelce's ‘New Heights' Podcast After Teasers
Taylor Swift isn't letting August slip away without a little surprise. The musician will appear on the New Heights podcast hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason Kelce on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The brothers shared the announcement on Instagram Monday evening, with a clip of the pop superstar admiring Travis' sweater and remarking, 'It's such a nice color on you.' The Chiefs player quips, 'It's the color of your eyes, sweetie. It's why we match so well.' The brief video ends with Swift exclaiming, 'We're about to do a f-king podcast!' More from Rolling Stone 13 Taylor Swift Books to Buy Before You Can Get Your Hands on 'The Life of a Showgirl' Swifties Uncover Years' Worth of Easter Eggs After 'The Life of a Showgirl' Reveal Travis Kelce Says Dating Taylor Swift Still Feels Normal: 'We're Just Two People That Are in Love' Swifties kicked into investigation mode on Monday morning when New Heights first began teasing the special guest appearance. When the Kelce brothers shared the thumbnail promoting their next podcast episode, in which Jason is wearing Swift merch, fans noticed that the orange background of the image was distinct. Usually, their preview images place the blacked-out silhouette of their guest against a yellow backdrop. This orange, coincidentally, called back to the same color highlighted in a new 12-slide post from Taylor Nation, an official branch of Swift's marketing team. 'Thinking about when she said 'See you next era… ,'' Taylor Nation captioned the carousel of images from the Eras Tour. Swifties also noticed that the New Heights thumbnail matched the silhouette of Swift from her Variety 'Directors on Directors' appearance, which notably premiered on Dec. 12, 2022, and supported her work on the Grammy Award-winning All Too Well: The Short Film (released on Nov. 12, 2021). With this announcement arriving on Aug. 12, 2025, who can fault Swifties for believing it could have even the slightest thing to do with the next full-length LP — which will be, as you have probably inferred, album number 12 — from Swift? They haven't had much to dissect since the Eras Tour concluded, apart from the handwritten letter the musician shared earlier this year when she revealed that she had become the proud owner of her entire catalog of music. She extended the word 'this' in the first paragraph of the note. Want to guess how many times the letter 'i' was written? (Hint: More than 11, less than 13.) Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter Is Understandably ‘Freaking Out' About Her Feature on Taylor Swift's Album
Sabrina Carpenter keeps on making her dreams come true. The singer was just revealed as the sole feature on Taylor Swift's newly announced album, The Life of a Showgirl. Of course, she's totally freaking about it. 'I know someone who's freaking out and it's me,' Carpenter wrote in her Instagram story sharing the news. More from Rolling Stone Taylor Swift Was Also Obsessed With Bad Bunny's Acting in 'Happy Gilmore 2' Taylor Swift Made 'The Life of a Showgirl' While on the Eras Tour: 'I Was Physically Exhausted' Taylor Swift Reunites With Max Martin, Shellback for 'The Life of a Showgirl': 'Catching Lightning in a Bottle' A feature on Swift's 12th album would be a big deal for anyone, but it's especially momentous for Carpenter, who has idolized the superstar for years. 'I hold her to such a different echelon,' she told Rolling Stone last year. 'I could never compare my life, my career, my trajectory to anything close to what she's done,' she added. Back in 2009, around when Carpenter first started uploading YouTube covers of popular songs, she delivered a passionate rendition of Swift's 'Picture to Burn.' In 2023, Carpenter brought her manifestation to life when she opened for Swift on the pop star's triumphant Eras Tour. 'I've been just as obsessed with her as everyone has,' Carpenter said at the time. 'It's so weird when you're hanging out as two young women as opposed to thinking about when she goes onstage and is that person and when I go onstage.' The two singers joined forces on the Eras Tour stage once more in the fall of 2024 when Carpenter came out in New Orleans for the surprise songs set. They played a lovely mash-up of Carpenter's smash hit 'Espresso' along with Swift's 'Is It Over Now?' and another Short 'n Sweet track, 'Please Please Please.' After the performance, Swift sang Carpenter's praises. 'She's as real as they come and I'm so thankful she did that for us,' she wrote on Instagram about the surprise performance. The feature marks the first musical collaboration between Swift and Carpenter and comes at the perfect time for the young singer. Carpenter will release her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, on Aug. 29. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
