Ed Sheeran Interview! On Overcoming Grief, Fighting for His Songwriting & A Career Full of Hits

Popcast

The New York Times

Music Interviews, Music Commentary, Music

3.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2025

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The superstar singer-songwriter discusses overcoming personal and professional turmoil ahead of his new album, “Play.” Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the New York Times podcast, your shape of view of music news and criticism.
0:04.2	I'm John Caramonica, a critic of the New York Times.
0:06.4	I'm Joe Cuscarli. I'm a culture reporter at the New York Times.
0:09.5	I'm Ed Shearan, and I'm here to be interviewed by the New York Times.
0:13.4	Bing bong, it's go time. Ed Shearin is in the building.
0:20.3	Ed Shearin is, I think it is safe to say, a nuclear-grade pop star firmly at the top of the
0:27.2	mountain.
0:27.8	Raised in Suffolk, England, Ed Sheeran has spent the last decade and a half becoming one of the
0:32.5	defining musicians of the modern era, best known for songs that have become the new wedding
0:37.1	standards, thinking out loud.
0:43.1	Perfect.
0:45.0	Because we were just kids when we fell in.
0:48.0	The A-team.
0:48.9	Nobody plays the A-team at their wedding.
0:50.6	Just for the A-team.
0:52.0	Depressing-ass wedding.
0:57.4	You know Ed Sheeran songs,
0:59.2	even if you're not sure,
1:00.4	you know Ed Shearin songs.
1:05.7	Ed Shearin might be the only artist who's worked with
1:08.1	Taylor Swift, The Weekend,
1:10.0	Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and
	...

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