Ed Sheeran's surprise new album Subtract traces "fear, depression and anxiety"

Ed Sheeran just announced that his fifth studio album Subtract (-) will be arriving to listeners May 5th.

The project marks the fifth and final instalment of his mathematical era which began back in 2011 with Plus (+).

"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," Sheeran shared in a hand written note to his social media. "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."

Subtract. 05.05.2023. Pre-order now: https://t.co/W2vnTwszLX

📸 @annieleibovitz pic.twitter.com/33La8ZPBxh

— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) March 1, 2023

To create the "-" that listeners will be hearing in May, Sheeran scrapped a decade's worth of songwriting.

"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," the artist stated. "Subtract" seeks to work through the turbulence of the artists' last year.

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Sheeran said he "felt like he was drowning," after his wife Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with a tumour and his friend Jamal Edwards died unexpectedly at 31.

"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," he said, also calling attention to his time spent in copyright court over 2014's hit "Thinking Out Loud."

"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," he wrote.

Available for pre-save now, Sheeran feels the album will be an amalgamation of his "deepest and darkest thoughts."

Tracklist:

Boat
Salt Water
Eyes Closed
Life Goes On
Dusty
End Of Youth
Colourblind
Curtains
Borderline
Spark
Vega
Sycamore
No Strings
The Hills of Aberfeldy