MUMBAI: After two introspective and low-key albums, Ed Sheeran is back in familiar territory with a vibrant new pop single, Azizam. This shimmering track blends his signature style with rich Middle Eastern influences, inspired by producer Illya Salmanzadeh’s Persian roots.
The song’s title, Azizam, means “my dear” or “my darling” in Farsi, and its soundscape features traditional instruments like the ghatam, a South Indian clay pot used in percussion, and the santur, a hammered dulcimer native to Iran. “Now that the song’s out, I’m realising how proud Persians are of their culture—and it’s been amazing to celebrate that,” Sheeran shared in an interview with BBC Radio 1.
Dropping in a week packed with major new releases from Miley Cyrus, Wet Leg, and Elton John, Azizam doesn’t stray too far from Sheeran’s winning pop formula. But the fresh Persian influences could give the track a boost, especially in the Middle East—now the fastest-growing music market in the world. It’s a savvy move from Sheeran, known for his genre-crossing collaborations, from Afrobeats artists like Burna Boy and Fireboy DML, to singing in Spanish with J Balvin and even performing in Punjabi during a recent Mumbai concert.
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Sheeran said creating Azizam was “a hell of a lot of fun,” comparing the rhythmic and melodic elements of Persian music to the Irish folk traditions he grew up with. The idea was sparked by Salmanzadeh, the Iranian-Swedish producer behind hits for Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. “He said, ‘I’d love to make something from my culture,’ and that’s how it all started,” Sheeran told Radio 1’s Greg James.
The track also features vocals from the Citizens of the World Choir, composed of refugees and allies, and was first introduced during a surprise performance in New Orleans’ French Quarter with the Soul Rebels brass band.
Reviews have been generally positive. The Guardian gave it three stars, noting that while the Persian touches felt subtle, the song is unmistakably Sheeran in pop mode—with an instantly memorable hook. The Telegraph’s Neil McCormick called it “lighter than candy floss and twice as sticky,” predicting it will dominate playlists all summer long. Fans have been more generous—one Radio 2 listener, of Iranian heritage, texted in: “There are so many Persian music influences in the song, which is amazing to hear.”
Azizam is the lead single from Sheeran’s upcoming eighth studio album, titled Play, the first in a new thematic series including Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop. Speaking on The Tonight Show, the 34-year-old even teased a posthumous record called Eject, featuring songs written throughout his life.
This new release comes at a pivotal moment. While Sheeran dominated the 2010s, his recent projects haven’t hit the same commercial highs. Subtract (2023) marked a more reflective turn and earned critical praise but fell short of platinum sales in the UK. Autumn Variations, released the same year, debuted at number one but quickly dropped out of the Top 40.
Still, Sheeran remains a global streaming powerhouse. On Spotify, 12 of his songs have crossed the 1 billion streams mark, with Shape of You standing as the second-most streamed song ever at 4.3 billion plays.
With Azizam, Sheeran proves he’s not done evolving—and he’s doing it with rhythm, charm, and global flair.
