Fans gear up as Ed Sheeran announces new album ‘Play,’ out September 12

It looks like Ed Sheeran is continuing his signature symbology, but with a twist. The veteran singer-songwriter has officially announced that there is a new album titled Play, slated for release on September 12, 2025.

The Shape of You singer revealed the news on Thursday via Instagram and simultaneously released the first single off the album, Old Phone. As expected, fans are flocking to social media to express their anticipation for the forthcoming album, such as this user who penned on X (formerly Twitter):

"Ed Sheeran's new album "Play" looks super vibrant! Can’t wait to see what kind of magic he’s cooking up in those tracks!"

The comments didn't end there, though a lot of users also poked fun at his choice of album cover.

Someone quipped:

"He ran out of mathematical symbols"

Another jested:

"Yall get ready for Play, Pause, Rewind and Fast Forward"

One more jokingly shared:

"Can’t wait to hear the new album and pretend I’m in a movie montage"

Yet another exclaimed.

"Ed Sheeran’s new album *Play*? Can’t wait to hear what he’s cooked up this time!"

Even more chimed in with varied responses:

One user hilariously pointed out:

"He ran out of arithmetic operations lmaooo"

Someone else shared:

"Interested to see if it’s worth the wait"

Yet another joked:

"i was wondering what other symbol album he was going to make. im excited for this one though"

One user humorously suggested:

"why not try naming it square meter or square roots"

Users are visibly excited, though they also could not help but poke fun at Ed Sheeran's decision to choose the "play" symbol for his forthcoming album.

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Everything we know about Ed Sheeran's Play:

Ed Sheeran's Play marks a new chapter in his career, bringing his long-running Mathematics album series (which included +, x, ÷, =, and -) to a close.

According to a press release cited by ABC News, the upcoming album reflects Sheeran's evolution into

"new musical ground through collaboration with producers and musicians from around the world, as well as diving deeper into the timeless sounds and themes that have made him one of the world's best-loved pop artists."

The press release also revealed that the album will incorporate influences from Indian and Persian musical cultures.

In a post on Instagram on April 30, Sheeran reflected on what making Play was like to him:

"Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life," he began. "Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolor, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring. I made this record all over the world, finished it in Goa, India, and had some of the most fun, explorative creative days of my life. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, it encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father."

He went on,

"Going into this album campaign I said to myself ‘I just want everything I do to be fun and playful’ - so that’s why we are building pubs for folk jams, doing gigs on open top busses and singing in pink cowboy hats on bars. The older I get the more I just want to enjoy things, and savour the moments that are mad and chaotic. You can preorder play now, many many more playful things to come before it’s out. Old Phone also out today, go listen x"

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At the time of writing, further details about Ed Sheeran's forthcoming album remain under wraps, including the full tracklist.