Ed Sheeran Celebrates India on Rousing Single ‘Sapphire’

Ed Sheeran has released a new single, “Sapphire.” The song, off his forthcoming album Play, is accompanied by a music video shot in India. The video features appearances by Arijit Singh, who sings and plays sitar on the track, and Shah Rukh Khan.

“Sapphire,” produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh, Johnny McDaid, and Savan Kotecha, showcases South-Asian percussion as Sheeran sings about passion with a lover. “Touching on your body while you’re pushing on me/ Don’t you end the party I could do this all week/ We’ll be dancing till the morning/ Go to bed we won’t sleep,” he sings on the lively track.

“‘Sapphire’ was the first song i finished for Play that made me know where the album was heading,” Sheeran explained on Instagram. “It’s why I finished the recording process in Goa surrounded by some of the best musicians in India. It was an incredible creative process.” He added that he shot the music video while on tour in India because “we wanted to showcase the beauty and breadth of the country and its culture.”

“The final jigsaw piece for me was getting @arijitsingh on the record, i’ll make a post about that in a few days but it was a journey to get there and such an amazing day of music and family,” Sheeran added. “Me and him have done a full Punjabi version of the song that will come out in the next few weeks, which has a lot more of him on it. This is the album version of the song, and my favourite song on the album. Hope you guys love it.”

Sheeran will unveil his next studio album, Play, on Sept. 12. “Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life,” Sheeran shared in a statement. “Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.” The LP was recorded in all the different locations the singer-songwriter visited and completed in Goa, India. It brought a lightness back to him, giving him some of “the most fun, explorative creative days of my life.”

He first previewed the album with “Azizam,” an upbeat, vibrant single about letting go on the dance floor, and has since shared “Old Phone.” Play is the first installment in a new series of albums from Sheeran. It will be followed by Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop, continuing the tradition he started with Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, and Equals.