Ed Sheeran releases his new song “Eyes Closed” on Friday, March 24, and he revealed what the song is about in a new Instagram post.

The singer explained in a lengthy caption, “This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and every thing just reminds you of them and things you did together.”

“You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it,” he said. He confirmed the song is about his late friend Jamal Edwards, who unexpectedly passed away in 2022.

Said Ed, “Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel. And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it.”

Edwards, a British music entrepreneur, is credited with launching Ed’s career after featuring him on an acoustic A64 session on his SBTV channel in February 2010. The two had remained extremely close friends.

“Eyes Closed” is the first single off of Ed’s forthcoming album, –, which is pronounced Subtract.

Ed previously explained the effort walks fans through his tumultuous 2022 in a diary-like fashion, from processing Edwards’ death to a lawsuit accusing him of plagiarizing “Shape of You” to his wife, Cherry, facing a serious medical issue while expecting their second child.

He said the album, which was like “opening the trapdoor into my soul,” arrives May 5.

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