Fall is swiftly drawing near and Ed Sheeran has readied a complete album of fresh compositions designed exclusively for the occasion. In less than four months following the launch of his sixth studio album Subtract, the singer-songwriter has unveiled his upcoming record Autumn Variations, produced by Aaron Dessner, set to release on September 29, less than a week after his Mathematics World Tour concludes its North American leg, conveniently coinciding with the first day of fall.
The album will be launched under Gingerbread Man Records, Sheeran’s label founded in partnership with Warner Music Group in 2015.
In the build-up to the announcement, Sheeran tantalized fans through a series of social media posts. A few weeks back, he embraced a Tumblr-esque frenzy by sharing a picture of himself beside a path covered in orange leaves, although on closer inspection, the leaves are miniature photos of himself. His hair blends so seamlessly that it takes a moment to discern, particularly when scrolling swiftly.
In another teaser, Sheeran humorously took on the persona of a mulch and baked beans merchant. “Finally, those stuck in perpetually sunny weather can now revel in the beauty of this enchanting season: relentless grayness,” he quipped. “Contribute your part and aid those who truly miss out on an abundance of gloom!”
“When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.”
Pre-order Autumn Variations now.
@edsheeran Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded. When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion. My dad and brother told me about a composer called Elgar, who composed ‘Enigma Variations’, where each of the 14 compositions were about a different one of his friends. This is what inspired me to make this album. When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately. We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do. Autumn Variations out September 29th, preorder and presave now x #NewMusic ♬ original sound – Ed Sheeran
AUTUMN VARIATIONS Tracklist:
1. Magical
2. England
3. Amazing
4. Plastic Bag
5. Blue
6. American Town
7. That’s On Me
8. Page
9. Midnight
10. Spring
11. Punchline
12. When Will I Be Alright
13. The Day I Was Born
14. Head > Heels
“+ – = ÷ x TOUR” NORTH AMERICA 2023
August
25 // Seattle, WA // Paramount Theatre * (“-” TOUR)
26 // Seattle, WA // Lumen Field
September
1 // Vancouver, BC // Queen Elizabeth Theatre * (“-” TOUR)
2 // Vancouver, BC // BC Place
9 // Las Vegas, NV // Allegiant Stadium
15 // Oakland, CA // Fox Theater * (“-” TOUR)
16 // Santa Clara, CA // Levi’s® Stadium
22 // Los Angeles, CA // Shrine Auditorium * (“-” TOUR)
23 // Inglewood, CA // SoFi Stadium
