September 12, 2025 • 7 mins
Ed Sheeran has released his eighth studio album: ‘Play’. It’s the first of a new series of themed albums, with titles based on electronic media buttons – ‘Pause’, ‘Fast Forward’, ‘Rewind’, and ‘Stop’ set to follow.
Although there’s plenty of new influences and stylistic changes, with traditional Indian percussion, Hindi and Punjabi vocals, and a guest appearance from Bengali singer Arijit Singh, the core of Ed Sheeran’s musical style is clear.
Estelle Clifford joined Jack Tame to give her thoughts on the album.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from news Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Are You Still Love Now? Hatred? Just a little? I've
got better man, I ask you Leby just a little.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Baby.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
His street says, can't call you grease, it's your booby
d I used to love you le.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Just a little.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
That is Id Shearon. The song's called a Little More.
His brand new album is play. Clifford's been listening good morning,
Oh Koder.
Speaker 5 (00:55):
And isn't it just a little kind of exciting that
Ed Shearon is throwing shade?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah? Yeah, it's not really his style, isn't He's usually
the yeah we don't hear him tell you yeah?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
And I just so for me, it's a little bit
of a standout track because you don't kind of expect
those lyrics from him. You don't and him to completely
throw some shade and say things like I wish you
could look in the mirror because if you did, you'd
see the problem as you Yeah, but then as you
can hear through this one, just that super catchy upbeat jam.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
It's got some cool high hat things. There's a full
brass section, pretty little blings, and then really great harmonies.
In the background, and it kind of makes me think
of like Amy Winehouse, you know how she was really
good at bringing that soulful, cool kind of track, but
actually it was pretty dark and sounded sort of shady,
so that that's kind of a yeah for me. There
(01:51):
is a standout on this play album. Don't worry, though,
there's plenty of tracks on here for people to still
get married to. I mean, if Ed Sharon didn't give
us some new first dance tracks, there would be something wrong.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
There's literally a song called the Vowel.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Oh wow, okay, yeah, it's on the night.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
I mean he's just making it real obvious that it's
okay you can still Yeah, yeah it does.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It works for Ed, you know, it works for only
three billion couples around the world. That's fine.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally all.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I also love about Ed like I've a mind a
five year plan in your life of what you're gonna do,
because he's already.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Got all the album names in this series lined up.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
But he's also got like a sixty year hopefully sixty
year plan depending on when it is he pops his clogs.
But he's got an album that he wants to release
once he passes away and it's in his will and
it's called Eject.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So hang on, he's recorded an album.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Yes, well, actually there's a whole lot of songs that
if his wife outlives him, she can approve the tracks
that go on the album called Eject, which makes me
think we're catapulting his ashes into the stratosphere. I don't know,
but I just I feel like it in an interview
as a joke, but that's kind of become where he's like, no.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
No, true, I do have a posthumous album. But whenever it.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Happens interesting, it is interesting. I mean what because yeah,
maybe I mean maybe if he's you know, throwing a
little bit of shade in this, maybe that's going to
be like each here and does death metal or each
Hear and does like, you know, really aggressively.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Where everyone's like, way, I thought this.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Guy was a nice guy. We got married to this,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yeah, what has happened?
Speaker 5 (03:30):
I just think that's I think that's kind of it's
kind of quirky and funny, and maybe we be around
long enough to find out if it's actually going.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
To be well yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
He's done another great co lab as well with Fred Again.
So he's done a couple with him before, the songs
called Don't Look Down. It's got some really interesting vocal
work from it on it that I quite like. He
sort of pushes some real boundaries with what he's doing.
You'll have already heard that he's doing, you know, some
influence from Persian culture and then Indian culture with some
of the musical kind of tracks and vocals that have
(03:59):
been used, but in true Fred Again style. On that song,
there's like, you know, burg loud synths and pound and
kind of house beat to make it head.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
More of that dance floor kind of track.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
It's an interesting album and that it does go through
some real real waves, and for me it's kind of
I don't like. I don't like the flow of some
of it, right, but you kind of go from like
this love track to then the dis and then house.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Maybe it's kind of good because you have these standout
singles and you don't have to listen to.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
The whole album.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Okay, Yeah, there's lots.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Of people want to do their day. He's also spoken
out about how because they're moving to the States, because
he's doing an extensive tour over there so wants to
take the far no, which I fully respect because it
is not easy to be on the road minus your people.
So they're moving into the States. And then he has
talked about his love affair with Nashville and possibly touching
on some country music.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Okay, yeah, I'm just going to say outright, no, no,
thank you. I don't want your share in to do
a country.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I feel like it's a I feel like you're always
doing a country album, and I feel like it's a
better I mean, if Beyonce is doing country, why country?
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Well, okay, but here's the thing. He says, once you've
done country, you can't go back. And I'm like, has
anyone discussed that with Beyonce, because I don't know if
it rings true for her, maybe it would ring true
for someone like Ed Sharon. I'm like, I don't need
everyone to do a country album. I'm quite happy for
him to stay a pop star. So that's just my version. Look,
other people might want to take that somewhere else. But
(05:27):
there's a pop up pub if you happen to be
in Auckland's at the moment in the city in Commercial Bay.
It's called the Old Phone and they're like focusing on
real UK good pints for Guinness and a pan a
pie to celebrate that album. So you know, that real
typical thing where he just takes over the billboards will
all be the glittery, jelly pink imagery thing that he's
(05:49):
got going on with this album.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Everything will be ed Sharon.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Yeah, absolutely, And of course that huge tour that he
will he's coming here to Enz. He's added an extra
show in Auckland, Wellington and christ Church as well, so
he's making the most of what he's got going on.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I really like that.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
There's some beautiful influencers. I really like that in the end, percussion,
looped kind of stuff he's got going on through it,
I think, touching on some different things that really meld
quite well with his pop influence.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Yeah right, it's quite It's quite fun some of that.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
And stupidly catchy melody is like he's always that's his thing,
I think, isn't it. That's what makes it sound like
d Shearon like a catchy melody.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And he has. Yeah, he has had a little bit
of success over the years running a catch.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
He's still got that like disheveled, approachable kind of guy
thing about him. Yes, you know, and now he's influencing
other artists and you kind of go, oh, that's right.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
He's been around for.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Like I guess, commercially about fourteen fifteen years, so that
you know, this says a lot for what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
He's a big dog. Yeah, So what did you give it?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Okay? It an eight out of ten, eight out of.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Team for play. I'm looking forward to having a bit
of a listener. Okay, well, well so we'll pick out
one of those tracks and play in a few minutes.
Thank you so much. Estelle eight out of ten for
play by Ed sheeron his latest album, Not to be
confused with this posthumous one that I thought was a joke.
Apparently not, like I say, we'll play you a bit
more in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from news Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Are You Still Love Now? Hatred? Just a little? I've
got better man, I ask you Leby just a little.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Baby.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
His street says, can't call you grease, it's your booby
d I used to love you le.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Just a little.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
That is Id Shearon. The song's called a Little More.
His brand new album is play. Clifford's been listening good morning,
Oh Koder.
Speaker 5 (00:55):
And isn't it just a little kind of exciting that
Ed Shearon is throwing shade?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah? Yeah, it's not really his style, isn't He's usually
the yeah we don't hear him tell you yeah?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
And I just so for me, it's a little bit
of a standout track because you don't kind of expect
those lyrics from him. You don't and him to completely
throw some shade and say things like I wish you
could look in the mirror because if you did, you'd
see the problem as you Yeah, but then as you
can hear through this one, just that super catchy upbeat jam.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
It's got some cool high hat things. There's a full
brass section, pretty little blings, and then really great harmonies.
In the background, and it kind of makes me think
of like Amy Winehouse, you know how she was really
good at bringing that soulful, cool kind of track, but
actually it was pretty dark and sounded sort of shady,
so that that's kind of a yeah for me. There
(01:51):
is a standout on this play album. Don't worry, though,
there's plenty of tracks on here for people to still
get married to. I mean, if Ed Sharon didn't give
us some new first dance tracks, there would be something wrong.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
There's literally a song called the Vowel.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Oh wow, okay, yeah, it's on the night.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
I mean he's just making it real obvious that it's
okay you can still Yeah, yeah it does.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It works for Ed, you know, it works for only
three billion couples around the world. That's fine.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally all.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I also love about Ed like I've a mind a
five year plan in your life of what you're gonna do,
because he's already.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Got all the album names in this series lined up.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
But he's also got like a sixty year hopefully sixty
year plan depending on when it is he pops his clogs.
But he's got an album that he wants to release
once he passes away and it's in his will and
it's called Eject.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So hang on, he's recorded an album.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Yes, well, actually there's a whole lot of songs that
if his wife outlives him, she can approve the tracks
that go on the album called Eject, which makes me
think we're catapulting his ashes into the stratosphere. I don't know,
but I just I feel like it in an interview
as a joke, but that's kind of become where he's like, no.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
No, true, I do have a posthumous album. But whenever it.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Happens interesting, it is interesting. I mean what because yeah,
maybe I mean maybe if he's you know, throwing a
little bit of shade in this, maybe that's going to
be like each here and does death metal or each
Hear and does like, you know, really aggressively.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Where everyone's like, way, I thought this.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Guy was a nice guy. We got married to this,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yeah, what has happened?
Speaker 5 (03:30):
I just think that's I think that's kind of it's
kind of quirky and funny, and maybe we be around
long enough to find out if it's actually going.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
To be well yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
He's done another great co lab as well with Fred Again.
So he's done a couple with him before, the songs
called Don't Look Down. It's got some really interesting vocal
work from it on it that I quite like. He
sort of pushes some real boundaries with what he's doing.
You'll have already heard that he's doing, you know, some
influence from Persian culture and then Indian culture with some
of the musical kind of tracks and vocals that have
(03:59):
been used, but in true Fred Again style. On that song,
there's like, you know, burg loud synths and pound and
kind of house beat to make it head.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
More of that dance floor kind of track.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
It's an interesting album and that it does go through
some real real waves, and for me it's kind of
I don't like. I don't like the flow of some
of it, right, but you kind of go from like
this love track to then the dis and then house.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Maybe it's kind of good because you have these standout
singles and you don't have to listen to.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
The whole album.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Okay, Yeah, there's lots.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Of people want to do their day. He's also spoken
out about how because they're moving to the States, because
he's doing an extensive tour over there so wants to
take the far no, which I fully respect because it
is not easy to be on the road minus your people.
So they're moving into the States. And then he has
talked about his love affair with Nashville and possibly touching
on some country music.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Okay, yeah, I'm just going to say outright, no, no,
thank you. I don't want your share in to do
a country.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I feel like it's a I feel like you're always
doing a country album, and I feel like it's a
better I mean, if Beyonce is doing country, why country?
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Well, okay, but here's the thing. He says, once you've
done country, you can't go back. And I'm like, has
anyone discussed that with Beyonce, because I don't know if
it rings true for her, maybe it would ring true
for someone like Ed Sharon. I'm like, I don't need
everyone to do a country album. I'm quite happy for
him to stay a pop star. So that's just my version. Look,
other people might want to take that somewhere else. But
(05:27):
there's a pop up pub if you happen to be
in Auckland's at the moment in the city in Commercial Bay.
It's called the Old Phone and they're like focusing on
real UK good pints for Guinness and a pan a
pie to celebrate that album. So you know, that real
typical thing where he just takes over the billboards will
all be the glittery, jelly pink imagery thing that he's
(05:49):
got going on with this album.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Everything will be ed Sharon.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Yeah, absolutely, And of course that huge tour that he
will he's coming here to Enz. He's added an extra
show in Auckland, Wellington and christ Church as well, so
he's making the most of what he's got going on.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I really like that.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
There's some beautiful influencers. I really like that in the end, percussion,
looped kind of stuff he's got going on through it,
I think, touching on some different things that really meld
quite well with his pop influence.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Yeah right, it's quite It's quite fun some of that.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
And stupidly catchy melody is like he's always that's his thing,
I think, isn't it. That's what makes it sound like
d Shearon like a catchy melody.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And he has. Yeah, he has had a little bit
of success over the years running a catch.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
He's still got that like disheveled, approachable kind of guy
thing about him. Yes, you know, and now he's influencing
other artists and you kind of go, oh, that's right.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
He's been around for.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Like I guess, commercially about fourteen fifteen years, so that
you know, this says a lot for what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
He's a big dog. Yeah, So what did you give it?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Okay? It an eight out of ten, eight out of.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Team for play. I'm looking forward to having a bit
of a listener. Okay, well, well so we'll pick out
one of those tracks and play in a few minutes.
Thank you so much. Estelle eight out of ten for
play by Ed sheeron his latest album, Not to be
confused with this posthumous one that I thought was a joke.
Apparently not, like I say, we'll play you a bit
more in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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