Ed Sheeran explained his struggles with mental health and depression due to a series of traumatizing events that happened last year.
In the trailer for his new Disney+ documentary, Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All, released today, the pop icon opened up about going through one of the most difficult times in his life.
In February 2022, Sheeran’s best friend, Jamal, a music producer and son of Brenda Edwards, tragically passed away from cardiac arrest.
He also noted that his wife Cherry’s tumor diagnosis severely disturbed him when the doctors told him there was no treatment possible until after the birth of their baby.
In the trailer, fans could see Sheeran crying in his car and then on stage during a gig.
“I’ve never seen him cry on stage. He hasn’t had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts,” said Cherry in the clip.
“You guys said, “Do you want to make a documentary?” and I said, “Yeah, it’ll be me in the studio, and we’ll play a gig.” Added Sheeran. “That’s not what the documentary is.”
The four-part series will be out on May 3, 2023.
Earlier this month, the Photograph singer took to his Instagram and shared an emotional diary entry from February explaining how he dealt with his depression amidst his wife’s serious health condition and his best friend’s tragic passing.
He started off his post by mentioning his new studio album, Subtract, that’s coming out in May this year, and said he has been working on this album for a decade.
“I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be,” he wrote.
“Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.”
Sheeran explained that writing songs is his therapy, and it helps him make sense of his feelings.
“I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”
He added, “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, 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 spiraling 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.”
He continued, “As an artist, I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul.”
“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.”
Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.
Sources: Disney Plus on YouTube – Instagram
I am anxious to experience your new album. I, too have survived a difficult year, losing my 16 year old nephew to cadiac arrest from a congenital heart condition. He and my daughter, both being only children, were like siblings. I also, lost my parents just prior to that and my best friend a few years before that.
Your music always “speaks to me”. I cannot wait to feel your music.