Ed Sheeran released a brand new album, Play, on September 12, 2025. The Grammy-winning artist poured his heart out in the 13 tracks of the album. He provided a rare insight into his personal life, sharing the troubles he and his family had faced over the past few years. From his wife’s illness to his daughter’s privacy breach, certain things were difficult for Ed Sheeran to process, and he used that emotion to pen heartfelt songs and create a comfort album.
Ed Sheeran’s account of his wife’s cancer diagnosis
Play album’s introductory track, called Opening, chronicled Ed Sheeran’s wife, Cherry Seaborn’s battle with cancer in 2022. For the unversed, Cherry was diagnosed with a tumour in her arm during her second pregnancy, leading to an emotional period for the couple. The initial diagnosis worried them, particularly because treatment could not begin until after Cherry gave birth. She has since successfully undergone surgery and is now cancer-free.
In the verse where Ed Sheeran mentioned his wife’s ailment, he also talked about the sad demise of his close friend, Jamal Edwards. Jamal was a music entrepreneur who launched Ed Sheeran’s career by giving him a platform on his online music channel, SB.TV. Edwards died in February 2022 at age 31, leaving Ed heartbroken. Calling 2022 his ‘darkest cage’, because of the two huge blows, Ed Sheeran sang:
“It’s a long way up from rock bottom/There’s been times I felt I could fall further/I have loved and lost and feared and prayed/But now the day bursts wild and open. I have cried tears at my brother’s grave/I have shaken hands with my wife’s surgeon/I spent weeks inside the darkest cage.”
Ed Sheeran comments on his marriage to Cherry Seaborn
Through the waltz-like love song The Vow, the 34-year-old gave a tribute to his marriage, with lyrics that reaffirm his commitment to Cherry Seaborn. The song felt like a renewal of the couple’s wedding vows. Netizens are already speculating that this song will become a popular wedding song, much like his 2014 track, Thinking Out Loud.
Ed Sheeran shares privacy concerns celebrity dads face
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter is the father of two little daughters, Lyra, 5, and Jupiter, 3. In Play, Ed Sheeran mentioned that he needs to ‘keep it together for my daughters’, no matter what he goes through. It shows his commitment to parenting and his care for his kids. Giving a nod to his elder child, Ed Sheeran stated, ‘Never pushed Ly on a swing/I gotta wear disguises.’
It meant that Ed wanted to spend time with his family, taking his children to the park like ordinary dads. However, that wasn’t possible because he was a public figure and couldn’t have a peaceful outing with his family without trying to hide his identity with disguises. Through the lines, he touched upon the issue of celebrities’ families constantly facing privacy breaches and being subject to unnecessary public attention.
Ed Sheeran doesn’t want to be away from his family
In the song, Regrets, Ed Sheeran sang about the guilt of being away from his daughters while on tour. The lines indicating the same were ‘You’re too young to understand that Daddy’s coming home / Every time I leave the house, you think I’m forever gone.’ The singer also dedicated the emotional song, For Always, to his daughters. The track featured lyrics like, ‘I’m forever, I’m for all ways/from your first breath till my last day.’ Besides the ups and downs of family life, all Ed Sheeran needs is ‘Chez and my daughters and a few friends that help me,’ as per the lyrics of his song.
What are your thoughts on Ed Sheeran’s insights into his family life through his album, Play? Let us know.
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