Ed Sheeran on why his new album “Play” marks a lighter chapter in his life

Ed Sheeran is trading heartbreak for happiness with the release of his eighth studio album, “Play,” a deliberate creative about-face that finds the Grammy winner embracing pure joy after battling through what he calls “the darkest periods” of his life.

The 33-year-old singer-songwriter wrote his first album in nearly two years as “the polar opposite” of his previous release, “Subtract,” which chronicled heavy personal struggles that included his wife’s cancer diagnosis and his own mental health battles.

“It’s quite a heavy album, all the interviews around it was heavy. All the gigs around it were heavy,” Sheeran told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. “So I just wanted to kind of do the polar opposite of that with this record.”

The album marks a return to creative play, with Sheeran focused on getting back to pure artistic expression. He wrote approximately 300-400 songs during the creative process, ultimately selecting tracks that prioritized experimentation over commercial safety.

When asked what he hopes listeners will take away from the album, Sheeran said his goal is for people to connect with at least a few of the songs, but ultimately the record was something he created for himself.

“It made me feel good. And I’m just putting it in the universe and it all exist in people’s lives however it exists. But I think records have to be made primarily for the artist first, cause then like, I don’t know, otherwise it’s just a product,” said Sheeran.

The artist’s promotional strategy he said reflects the album’s adventurous spirit, featuring surprise pop-up performances in locations from Mexico to India rather than traditional media circuits.

“We would pop up anywhere and play, and it would be chaos and creative,” he said.

The album also marks a new chapter for Sheeran.

“I think within my life as a whole very settled, very calm, very happy. Everything feels good and balanced,” he said.

“Play” is available on all major streaming platforms.