Ed Sheeran Announces New Album “Play”, Shares Nostalgic First Single “Old Phone”
Ed Sheeran releases new single “Old Phone” and reveals upcoming album “Play”, arriving Sept. 12.
Ed Sheeran has officially revealed his next album Play, dropping September 12 via Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records, and introduced it with the nostalgic, soul-searching single “Old Phone”—out now on all platforms.
Marking a departure from the Mathematics series, Play is a globally inspired project influenced by Sheeran’s travels, collaborations, and encounters with Indian and Persian music. “It encapsulates everything that I love about music… and where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father,” Sheeran says.
Produced by Blake Slatkin and Ilya Salmanzadeh, “Old Phone” delivers an emotionally charged narrative. Ed turns on a mobile phone he last used in 2015, discovering old texts that bring up memories of a lost friend, an ex, and distant family. It’s an intimate story told through Sheeran’s classic acoustic style.
To lead into the release, Sheeran launched @teddysoldphone, an Instagram account featuring personal throwbacks pulled directly from the device. He’s also performed “Old Phone” live at surprise appearances including a Coachella pop-up and a Nashville pub set with Noah Kahan.
Playful, personal, and global in sound, Play is already shaping up to be one of 2025’s most exciting pop records.
