Ed Sheeran has revealed his wife Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with a tumour while pregnant causing him to spiral into “fear, depression and anxiety”.
The singer-songwriter said the sudden loss of his “brother” Jamal Edwards and a copyright court case all added to the sense he was “drowning” as he spent a decade finishing recording his new album Subtract.
Sheeran and Seaborn announced the birth of their healthy second daughter in May last year, after doctors told her “there was no route to treatment until after the birth”. The singer did not provide an update on his wife’s health.
The Shape of You star wrote on Instagram: “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter.
“I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.”
Sheeran recruited Aaron Dessner of The National, who collaborated on Taylor Swift’s lockdown records Folklore and Evermore, to help with the writing and production of the album.
Work began in February last year and the pair wrote more than 30 songs during a month of studio time, with 14 tracks making the final collection.
The result is described by his record label, Atlantic, as ranging from “pared back, folk-leaning textures to bolder, full-band/orchestral arrangements”.
Subtract is the latest instalment in Sheeran’s mathematical symbol series, which has progressed through albums including = (Equals) and ÷ (Divide).
In a departure from his previous album covers, which played on their title’s mathematical symbol, this one shows Sheeran’s face combined with a cracked and broken heart.
The sea appears to be a recurring theme with the album opening with the tracks Boat and Salt Water.
Other titles include Life Goes On, Colourblind and No Strings, with the album closing with the track The Hills Of Aberfeldy – a reference to the Scottish market town, which he has visited on a number of occasions.
Images taken by acclaimed US photographer Annie Leibovitz and released alongside the announcement show the Suffolk songwriter being washed away by waves and crouched over a writing desk at night.
In his statement, Sheeran said he did not feel he could release an album that did not “accurately represent” his current situation and the challenges he has faced.
Describing the record as like “opening the trapdoor into my soul”, he added: “For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like; I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.
“This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”
