Ed Sheeran is promoting his new song “Sapphire,” and did so by performing at a secret show in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, September 13. People was there to witness the event and shared a video on Instagram.
People captioned the video, writing: “We’re dancing all night to #Sapphire! ✨ We just got to watch #EdSheeran belt out his new track at a secret show in New York!”
Fans left comments on the post that included emoji hearts, heart eye emojis and raised hands emojis. One person who wasn’t at the special event expressed their good-natured envy, writing, “Sooooo jealous! How fun!🥰”
Sheeran also took the opportunity to share his professional connection to none other than fellow music star Ariana Grande. “Ed Sheeran revealed that he worked closely with music producers #IlyaSalmanzadeh and #SavanKotecha on his song #Sapphire — the duo have previously collaborated with popstar #ArianaGrande,” People captioned another video of the exclusive event.
‘Sapphire’ Is a Duet With ‘Indian Superstar’ Arijit Singh
If you’ve listened to “Sapphire” or seen the official video, then you’ll know that Sheeran’s voice isn’t the only one you hear. In fact, he worked with another singer who happens to be incredibly famous.
“On Sapphire — the album’s best song — he enlists Indian superstar Arijit Singh for a duet, trading vocals in a mixture of English, Hindi and Punjabi over a lilting beat,” the BBC explained. South Asian BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake talked to The Guardian about Singh, saying, “Just see this as beautiful music, the language of which you may not understand, but the sentiment and vocal depth, you will feel. His range, his talent and his virtuosity makes him a once-in-a-generation artist, even for India.”
As for Sheeran, the BBC noted the work that the singer put into the song. “Sheeran is no cultural tourist, though, taking great pains to get the details right,” the publication explained. “For Sapphire, he travelled 11 hours to Arijit Singh’s hometown of Jiaganj to learn the Punjabi-language parts.”
‘Sapphire’ Was Key for Sheeran’s New ‘Play’ Album
GettyWhile working on his new album, “Play,” Sheeran says that the song “Sapphire” helped steer him in the right direction. On top of that, working with Singh capped things off.
“‘Sapphire’ was the first song I finished for Play that made me know where the album was heading,” Sheeran said in a statement about his new song and the accompanying album, according to Billboard. “It’s why I finished the recording process in Goa surrounded by some of the best musicians in India.”
“The final jigsaw piece for me was getting Arijit on the record,” the singer explained. “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 favorite song on the album. Hope you guys love it.”
