Ed Sheeran explained why he’s aligned his discography with mathematics during the November 1, 2021 episode of the Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard podcast.
“Very, very young, I was like 18 or 19, I just decided — I was like, ‘Right, I’m gonna do five math symbols as my albums,” Sheeran said, in part. “One’s gonna be orange, one’s gonna be green, one’s gonna be blue, one’s gonna be red, one’s gonna be yellow. And you’re gonna just see a poster, and the poster’s gonna have an equals sign on it, and you’ll know what it is.”
Sheeran executed that plan to perfection, with five consecutive No. 1 albums to his name. It began with the orange-covered + (Plus) in 2011, followed by the green X (Multiply) in 2014, the blue ÷ (Divide) in 2017, and the red = (Equals) in 2021. (Sheeran also stuck the No. 1 album No.6 Collaborations Project in there in 2019 for good measure.)
Now, we’ve arrived at the yellow finale, – (Subtract), due out on May 5. And with the album’s release, which will be prefaced by at least one single, Sheeran is properly reflecting on the journey to this point. This morning, March 20, the four-time Grammy winner and Disney+ — of course there’s a plus sign involved — jointly announced The Sum Of It All, a four-part original documentary series.
“I’ve always been guarded of my personal life; the only documentary I’ve ever made has been one that focused on my songwriting,” Sheeran captioned his Instagram announcement. “Disney approached me to make a four-part documentary on the making of my next album Subtract. Initially the documentary was just that, a documentary on the formation of an album. But, as my life took a few twists and turns, the subject matter of the album changed, and so did the documentary. It became something completely different to what I thought it would be.”
He continued, “I wanted to provide context to the album as it touches on very personal things, that we all experience. I knew if I made a documentary, I would want to put my trust in the hands of the director, so it wouldn’t be sculpted by me, and was actually an accurate reflection of who I am, even if it’s uncomfortable to watch. The team at @fulwell73productions have done a fantastic job of that. I hope you guys connect with this 4-part series, The Sum Of It All, streaming May 3rd @disneyplus.”
Read Disney+’s official description for The Sum Of It All below, and watch the official trailer above.
“Ed Sheeran: #TheSumOfItAll, a four-part Original docuseries, is streaming May 3 on #DisneyPlus.
For the first time ever, global superstar, Ed Sheeran opens the doors to a definitive and searingly honest view into his private life as he explores the universal themes that inspire his music. This series follows Ed after he learns of life changing news and reveals his hardships and triumphs during the most challenging period of his life. This original 4-part series features exclusive footage behind his iconic hits, never-before-seen personal archive with his friends and family, and epic stadium performances giving insight into Ed’s world.
In each episode, Ed faces themes and emotions that most people experience. Ed expresses his deeper thoughts as he reassesses life and explores what he thinks of the world, of himself and how this difficult time has influenced him and his new music.”
– (Subtract) is out 5/5 via Atlantic. Find more information here.
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. .
