Watch on Ed Sheeran’s YouTube Channel at 4 a.m. ET and
Listen To Interview On iHeartRadio Stations Nationwide at 8pm Local on July 12
WHAT: iHeartMedia to broadcast an interview special with Ed Sheeran and iHeartRadio’s Charlamagne tha God, in celebration of his new album, No. 6 Collaborations Project, available July 12 via Atlantic Records. Fans can watch the 60-minute interview special on Ed Sheeran’s YouTube Channel at 4 a.m. ET on July 12. In addition, iHeartRadio will broadcast audio from the interview special at 8 p.m. local across more than 150 iHeartRadio Pop, Hot AC and Rhythm stations nationwide and digitally on HitNation and iHeartRadio.com.
WHEN: Ed Sheeran’s YouTube: Friday, July 12 beginning at 4 a.m. ET on YouTube
Radio Broadcast: Friday, July 12 at 8 p.m. local time on iHeartMedia’s Pop, Hot AC and Rhythm Radio Stations
Featured quotes from Ed Sheeran include:
“Blow” featuring Bruno Mars & Chris Stapleton
When asked, “Why the hell y’all did a rock record,” Sheeran simply replied, “Because, exactly that.” He added, “I think people do not expect that any time I play that to anyone, the first cord instantly people [are surprised], and I love that.”
Ed also explained how the song and its classic rock sound came together. Stapleton initially had the track’s guitar riff, and it just grew from there after the country star and Bruno got together to mess around with it. Now, Ed is inspired to get a band for his live shows because of the profound rock sound. He says, “Throughout my whole career, I’ve never had an excuse to get a band, and now, that’s an excuse to maybe tour with a band. Because I think playing that live would be a different level.” Sheeran adds, “I think people like my loop pedal, and no one’s seen me with a band, and I think you can have a show that [incorporates both]. I think it’s time to have a show that incorporates both of them, personally.”
“South of the Border” featuring Camila Cabello & Cardi B
On why he chose Cardi B and Camila: “I’ve always wanted to make a song with Cardi B. Cardi B, just personality wise, even if you had her talking on a song. I love her, Cherry’s obsessed with her. I’ve got to meet her a few times; she’s very animated, very lovely, so I’ve always wanted her on a record. I met Camila in 2013 at the VMAs when she was in Fifth Harmony. We’ve kind of always kept in touch, and she’s very, very, very sweet, very, very nice. [The song] has a Latin flavor, you could say that. [Camila] is from Cuba, she speaks fluent Spanish, and Cardi’s Dominican, and I just felt like it was a good mix.”
On what he loves the most about Cardi B: “I love how unfiltered she is. Literally. She’s so media trained not to be media trained, like, her whole schtick is she goes on and says whatever she wants, and that is what works for her, whereas I never had a media training either, and I feel like I get to just say what I want. And she’s successful because she is who she is. There’s no one else that can be Cardi B — and there’s gonna be countless people now that try to be.”
“Cross Me” featuring Chance The Rapper & PnB Rock
On what made working with Chance The Rapper so special: “You can just tell, just from the way that his approach was to it. His whole verse, that line ‘Never say hi to me without her’ … you can’t teach that level of respect. He’s obviously been brought up with a very, very strong, loving mother, and probably with a lot of women around him. It’s good.”
On writing love songs from a different angle: “It’s about finding different angles now, for me. I’ve done ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ I’ve done ‘Perfect,’ I’ve done the love songs. It’s about finding different angles now to do that.”
Cherry’s reaction to this song: “She likes it a lot. But I think she likes the message of it, because it’s quite … it makes her feel like a badass as well. You originally hear the song, and it sounds like it’s me being like, ‘Well I’m gonna be protective,’ but actually [it’s both].”
“Take Me Back to London” featuring Stormzy
On how UK rap has influenced him and working with Stormzy: “I think rap in general [has influenced me], but UK rap was the first intro for me into this, was me doing that Collaborations thing. And I’ve been working with UK artists since then, but we’ve kind of been friends for a very, very long time, but never really worked together. He [Stormzy] remixed ‘Shape of You’ for me, but never really worked together on a song. Everything happens for a reason, and I feel like this [song] happened for a reason.”
“Best Part of Me” featuring Yebba
On how he chooses the artists he wants to work with: “You should only be working with people you think are better than you, so it helps you grow as a person. Like, when I did the song with Beyoncé, she definitely bodied me on that. The song with [Andrea] Bocelli, like, these people are at the peak of their game.”
On his relationship with Yebba & how the song came together: “I had taken her on tour in 2017, so we were in touch anyway, and she came to see my Wembley show recently and we reconnected there. We had been on e-mail and she sent me demos of her songs that I’ve listened to and stuff like that. We’ve always had a really cool relationship. I got on the phone with her one day, and I was like ‘I have this song.’ [I] sent it to her, she sent back her verse, and I was like, we have to get in and make sure that the chorus lifts and we can sing it together, and it sounds like we’ve actually been in the same room and made it. A song like that, you can’t really make remotely, you have to be in the same room. Sometimes I play people artists, and some people will be like, ‘Oh my God, this is the best thing in the world!’ And some people will be like, ‘I just don’t get it.’ But, there’s no one that doesn’t get her [Yebba]. It’s so easy to get. It’s just like, ‘Wow, she’s incredibly talented.'”
On how this song relates to him and his life Cherry: “I constantly wake up everyday, with Cherry, and I’m just like, ‘Why the f*** are you with me? You could literally be with whoever you want, and you chose me. I’m saying all of the things that I think are wrong with me, and you still wanna me with me.’ And i just find that amazing.”
“Remember the Name” featuring Eminem & 50 Cent
On how working with Eminem is a childhood dream: “I had two songs I always wanted to do with Eminem. I was like, ‘If I ever get to work with Eminem, there’s two songs I wanna do.’ One’s an introspective story and one is something that is more of a nod towards some of the cheekier songs on the Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show. And I was like, when I work with him, because in my mind, I was always like, ‘It’s going to happen, I’ve just got to wait,’ I’ll do those two songs. And one led to the other. So, I did the ‘River’ song with him for the Revival record, and then through that, got to him. And then I was able to sit down with him in Detroit and approach him with this song, and it didn’t feel weird. And now I feel like I’ve ticked my two boxes. Feels good.”
He adds, “If you could’ve told 12-year-old me I would rap on a song with Eminem when I was older, like, so many people say that I can’t rap, but I’m allowed on a song with Eminem and 50 Cent rapping. So, why does it matter?”
“I Don’t Care” featuring Justin Bieber
On why he chose Justin Bieber for this song (also how their relationship began after meeting at Z100 in NYC): “Bieber just got married. I just got married. That song is about the person you love, and kind of just being like ‘F*** this, let’s just have fun ourselves.’ It was actually Cherry’s idea, because she was like, ‘Oh, why don’t you get Bieber? He’d be perfect for this, he just fits it.’ I have quite a good relationship with him. I met him at (New York City’s) Z100. He came up and said, ‘Oh I’m a big fan,’ and I was like, ‘Wow, have you heard my music?’ So we kept in touch. I wrote some songs for him and with for his projects. We’ve just hung out a bunch of times. I wanna work with Bieber. He’s just got one of these voices that works on anything, and he’s got personality when he sings.”
On his social anxiety: “I used to be super social at industry functions. My hobby was to go out and meet people that I admired, and go out and drink with them, and end up at a bar. That was my favorite thing to do. So, I ended up meeting all my musical heroes, and going out to bars with them and having fun with them. And then now, when I go to these events, I just have social anxiety. I hate large groups of people, which is ironic, because I play shows for a living. But, I just feel claustrophobic and don’t like being around too many people.”
Later on he adds, “I don’t mind talking to people. I have no problem with having a conversation with people. It’s just when people film me and sh*t, and just stare at me. It makes me feel weird, because it makes me feel like I’m not human. If you’re coming up and having a conversation with me, it makes me feel human, even if we’ve never met. The thing that instantly shuts me off is having a moment like that with someone that’s so human and so nice, and then being like, ‘Can I have a picture?’ It kind of then puts you back down to Earth and then you’re literally just 15 likes on Instagram. That’s what you are.”
“Antisocial” with Travis Scott
“Antisocial” is almost an extension of “I Don’t Care,” in relation to his social anxiety, and Sheeran explained that Travis Scott is similar to him in that way. He says, “He has it, and we were talking about it, and I think he’s very lucky that the girl that he’s with [Kylie Jenner]. He says that they have a similar thing where that they just have their little circle.”
He added of Kylie’s family and siblings, “They’re all different, aren’t they? They all want different things. I don’t really know. But, he struck me as someone that I had a lot in common with, basically. He doesn’t seem to me to be the type of person that’s chasing fame. It’s all to better himself as an artist.”
“Beautiful People” featuring Khalid
On why he chose Khalid for this song: “His voice is so crisp, and warm, and so full, but in a very weird way. He’s got runs that aren’t soul runs, he’s runs that folk music. Like, he’s a soul singer who sings like a folk artist. He sings in a very unique way. But, that song for me is warmth. It just feels cozy. And it sounds weird to say his voice is cozy as well, but that was my initial thing. He’s definitely the same as me, he doesn’t strike me as someone who is glitz and glam.”
On why he hated living anywhere else outside of Suffolk, England: “Miserable. I hated it. Now, I like going to LA, because I go in for like, three days and see people I love. And then I’m gone. But, it’s the same everywhere. Like, I was miserable when I lived in New York as well, because, I just have to be home. There’s a book that I read called His Dark Materials, and it’s about parallel worlds. And there’s this guy who has a knife that can cut into other worlds, and his dad has discovered the worlds before him, and his dad ended up dying because he was away from his world for so long; it drained him being in this other world. For me, being in, not just England, but in Suffolk, just keeps me … even on tour, I’ll come back here and I’ll feel revitalized. I’m not American. I don’t belong in America. Just like you living here [in England], you’d probably get sad and some point, and be like, ‘I need to go back to Carolina, I need to go back to Jersey.'”
On how he got sucked into the LA celeb scene: “I definitely did, for like, six months, that was it, I was in. Hangin’ out with people who were on Disney shows once upon a time, and we were like, hangin’ out in backyards, everyday I’d meet someone new, and it would be like, ‘This is so-and-so who is in this movie,’ and ‘so-and-so’ who did this song, and just, I don’t know, you get sucked up in that world.”
“I Don’t Want Your Money” featuring H.E.R.
On why he’ll never play a NYE show: “I will always turn down every single offer for New Year’s Eve gigs, just because I’d rather spend it with my family and friends. And it happened very early on in my career, because I’ve never wanted much and I achieved a level of success, financially, very early on that I was happy with. So, ever since then, I now can’t be bought, because I don’t need it. But, that isn’t because now I’m now doing a stadium tour, that was, like, back then doing theaters.”
On how H.E.R. came to be on this song: “I really liked her album and became a fan of her from there. When I found out she was a fan of me, I then asked her to be on this. Because you can’t ever assume that people just wanna do records with you.
“1000 Nights” featuring Meek Mill & A Boogie wit da Hoodie
On what being “On for 1000 Nights” means: “Touring. I had been on tour for, it’s not technically a thousand nights, but almost like 700/800 nights on tour. So, it was basically, New York, to London, to a different city every day. I don’t really remember 2014/2015. it does all become a blur, but then, I now bring my best friends on tour. So, I’ve got four best friends out with me, and we enjoy it all together now. So it’s not really a blur, because we remember going to nice dinners, and then we go out to nice things, and go back to my hotel room, and have a bottle of wine.”
On why he chose Meek Mill and A Boogie: “Originally, I had a different beat, and when I made the beat, it was … and Meek actually said it when I played it to him, he was like, ‘You know my tempo.’ And for me, it just sounded like a Meek song. I always try and go two verses, I always try and go for two 24 bars, and we had done 16 bars, and it just seemed too short. And I had just bought Hoodie SZN, and I thought I’d reach out to him.”
“Put It All On Me” featuring Ella Mai
On why he’s so intrigued by Ella Mai: “I, like the rest of the world, heard ‘Boo’d Up,’ and then I found out she’s from Mitcham, in south London, and it just blew my mind, because it’s so rare, one, for English people to have success in America, but two, for English people to have success in America before England. She’s big there, but before here. So, I was intrigued by her anyway. Someone I knew had a concept for her, so when we were making that song, I remember we were saying, ‘What girl do we know that could be on this?’ And me and Fred, who made the tune, we were both like, ‘We should get Ella Mai.’ And I was like, ‘I know someone that knows her.’ So, we had that wrapped up in two days. Because usually, you do the song, and then you have to get in touch with the artist, and then it’s finding a day to do the studio. We sent it off to Ella Mai the day we wrote it, and then I think she recorded her bits two days later.”
“Feels” featuring Young Thug & J Hus
On working with Young Thug and J Hus: “I first heard him when he did the ‘Rich Gang’ … and I didn’t really get it. I think it was that Jeffery project that really made me understand it. And he’s got a tone that is, sometimes you don’t understand what he’s saying, but the way that he does it is just musical. So, I was always very intrigued to work with him. Hus is always someone that I’ve always wanted to work with. There’s not really anyone like him in the UK industry, so in his own lane. The worst thing I find, is when you have blatantly label things where they leave like a 16 at the end, and I never wanted to do that with Hus. So, I feel like if you’re gonna do a song with Hus, it needs to fit in. I got his number, and then I FaceTimed him. But usually, every single person I’ve worked with, I’ve never not had some sort of relationship with them.”
“Way To Break My Heart” featuring Skrillex
His favorite Skrillex story: “I’ve worked with him before. Actually, I have a great story about Skrillex. He came to Chicago to work on a track. Afterwards, he was like, ‘Let’s go out to a bar.’ So, just me and him and my touring crew went out to this bar, and he was like, ‘F*** man, this bar sucks. Like, the music’s just not…’ I don’t know what was happening, and he was like, ‘I got my laptop in my bag, should I just do a set?’ And they’re like, ‘OK.’ So, Skrillex got up in this bar in the middle of f***ing nowhere in Chicago, and just did a three hour set for anyone in the bar. And they just locked the doors and kept everyone in, it was amazing.”
“Nothing On You” featuring Paulo Londra & Dave
On working with Dave and how they met: “I gave [Dave] the choice of two [songs]. I really, really wanted to get him on the project. So I did two songs, and he chose that one. But, I think it’s good to have him on something a little bit different, because he does a lot of deep stuff for his stuff.”
He added of the backstory of their relationship: “I met him at, there’s an awards show over called the Ivor Novellos, and they have three main awards. There’s Best Song, Most Played Song, and then Songwriter of the Year, and that’s it. And I won Songwriter of the Year, and he won Best Song. There’s only three of them a year, they’re really difficult to win. So, I met him there, and we swapped e-mails and we’ve just been back and forth. I like talking to, I say ‘up and coming’ people, but I love the ‘new wave’ coming through. And it was one of those things where I’m putting the project together, it would just feel like a bit of a shame not to have him on it. So, I’m glad we could make it work. The other artist is a guy from Argentina that I’ve recently become a fan of called Paulo Londra.”
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