Ed Sheeran Unveils "Old Phone" and Announces "Play" Album Release

Ed Sheeran has dropped "Old Phone," the second single from his forthcoming album "Play," slated for release this autumn, on September 12, to be precise.

Sheeran introduced "Old Phone" in a rather unconventional way. He created a dedicated social media account, flooding it with nostalgic snapshots from years past. The singer has long since abandoned his old phone, but legal battles over plagiarism allegations in 2022 and 2024 forced him to power it up again. His legal team needed to comb through the device for any material that might bolster his case. As Sheeran scrolled through archived photos, he felt as though he’d been whisked back to 2015.

"Old Phone" was penned solely by Sheeran, with production handled by Ilya and Blake Slatkin. The track came to life in India, where Sheeran was putting the finishing touches on "Play." The album’s cover art has already been revealed, and here’s a peek at the tracklist for the upcoming release, which will feature 13 songs:

1. "Opening"

2. "Sapphire"

3. "Azizam"

4. "Old Phone"

5. "Symmetry"

6. "Camera"

7. "In Other Words"

8. "A Little More"

9. "Slowly"

10. "Don’t Look Down"

11. "The Vow"

12. "For Always"

13. "Heaven"

The album’s first single, "Azizam," arrived in early April, its Persian-inspired melodies propelling it to number three on the UK charts and seventh on Russia’s TopHit. In the U.S., it climbed to 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sheeran’s most recent album, "Autumn Variations," hit shelves in September 2023, following hot on the heels of "Subtract," released in May of that year. Both projects, produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, saw Sheeran pivot to introspective, folk-leaning material, a departure from his signature pop sound. With "Play," he’s poised to make a triumphant return to the pop arena.