Ed Sheeran‘s last two albums — 2023’s Subtract and Autumn Variations — were both downbeat records inspired by Ed’s grief and depression as he dealt with the death of his best friend, his wife’s medical issues, being sued for copyright infringement and more. As such, they didn’t exactly set the charts on fire, but Ed says his pal Elton John told him not to worry about that.
Speaking to TIME for its TIME100 issue, Ed says Elton told him that music careers don’t just continuously go up and up and up. “He’s had decades of his career where things haven’t gone well, and then suddenly he comes back with The Lion King or something like that,” Ed says of Elton.
“It’s an inspiring thing, because it just means that you don’t ever have to judge your career on how you are at that point in time,” he adds.
And, while Ed hasn’t completely banished that grief from his life, he says it’s now retreated a bit.
“One thing I’ve learned about depression is you don’t take a magic pill and it’s suddenly gone,” he says. “But you can have periods of your life where you’re better, and periods of your life where you’re not. It gets less and less painful year on year, but always allow yourself to feel grief. Don’t put it in a box and lock it away.”
Ed says he’s turning the page with his new album Play, which he describes as “technicolor.”
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
