Ed Sheeran Returns With New Single ‘Bad Habits’
Ed Sheeran officially returns with his new single Bad Habits, available now on all DSPs HERE, which is joined by the Dave Meyers-directed official video.
Spending the last few years out of the spotlight following his record-breaking two-year Divide tour and the arrival of his first daughter, Ed Sheeran marks his official return with the euphoric Bad Habits. Sheeran is an artist who motors on nonconformity, with the new release landing as something unexpected yet wholly his; a testament to a forward-thinking artist who continues to push his art into new dimensions. Deploying an up-tempo, summery sonic alongside his treasured guitar, and a track that channels escapist energy, Ed co-wrote and co-produced Bad Habits with long-time collaborators, Johnny McDaid (Shape of You) and FRED (No.6 Collaborations Project).
In the accompanying official video – directed by Dave Meyers (Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar) – we see Ed as we’ve never seen him before as he depicts an alter-ego vampire character. Trading his distinct ginger hair for bleached white and his teeth for fangs, the dark-humour narrative serves as a metaphor for ‘bad habits’ as Ed embarks on a wild night out alongside his crew of ghouls before morphing back to his real self the next morning, ginger hair intact, as the sun rises over him. The official video made its global broad premiere on MTV Live/MTVU/MTV’s global network of channels today, as was also trailed on ViacomCBS Times Square billboard.
Ed Sheeran says – “Feels great to be back with my new single. I wanted the video for Bad Habits to play on the nature of habits in a fantastical way so I decided on vampires. It was mega fun getting into character except for the heights (that wasn’t so fun). Enjoy x”
Bad Habits is Sheeran’s first official release since 2019’s UK and Australian No.1 and 2x ARIA Platinum ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’. A long-play side project that ran independently of his album sequence, it saw Ed join forces with a number of his favourite music artists – a staggering 22 of them, in fact – including Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Camila Cabello, Eminem and Travis Scott. In just a matter of weeks, the project reaped three UK and Australian No.1 singles in I Don’t Care with Justin Bieber, Beautiful People feat. Khalid and Take Me Back To London feat. Stormzy.
Last month, Ed topped the bill of UK Radio 1’s Big Weekend with an exclusive full band performance, filmed at Snape Maltings, Suffolk. During the same month, he was also unveiled as the new shirt sponsor for the men’s and women’s first teams of his beloved Ipswich Town Football Club.
Ed Sheeran is currently recording his new album.