Ed Sheeran admits he hates the idea of being a ‘sad pop star’

Ed Sheeran has admitted he hates the idea of ​​being seen as a “sad pop star,” despite his recent struggles on his new album.

The singer sat down with Zane Lowe at his Apple Music 1 show before releasing his new record Subtract on Friday.

And in an exclusive clip from the interview, Ed revealed that he decided to undergo therapy after realizing that his vast wealth “doesn’t fix things.”

Ed also admitted that he was “super low” when his close friend Jamal Edwards tragically died because he “couldn’t help it.”

The hitmaker lost his boyfriend just weeks after his wife Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with cancer, and had to put off treatment as she was six months pregnant with her second child.

Tough time: The singer revealed that he decided to undergo therapy after realizing that his massive wealth “doesn’t fix things” (pictured in his music video Eyes Closed)

Ed explained why he decided to open up about his struggles on his new album, telling Zane: “I’ve always had ups and downs and struggles, and I’ve felt like I’ve had real, real, real lows since I was a young kid.

“Whatever it is, it’s a chemical imbalance or something with genes. I have many relatives who have the same.

“But I never talked about it because I…. You can listen to my albums, it’s there. But I hate the idea of ​​it being a sad pop star because no one wants to hear that.

“Nobody wants to hear someone who has had success in their field and who, from the outside looking in, everything is great.

“No one wants to hear someone say, ‘Well, it really isn’t.’ I think the reason why I was more open about it this time is that it’s not like people… That’s why I started therapy, because I live a very, very privileged life.

“I’ve made money over the years and I have all these things. Whenever I said to my friends, last year this happened, they always pointed out all the good things in my life. And that’s great.’

Referring to Jamal’s death, Ed continued, “But money won’t buy back your dead friend. It just doesn’t work, and it doesn’t make it any better. Steve Jobs was the richest man on earth and died of cancer. It doesn’t just fix things.

“I hate talking about it because everyone says, ‘Well, it kind of is. It does this, this and this.” But there are just certain things it doesn’t do. I got really depressed when my friend died, and you can’t help it, you know?’

Hard times: Ed also admitted that he got ‘super low’ when his good friend Jamal Edwards tragically died because he ‘couldn’t help it’

Insight: The singer sat down with Zane Lowe at his Apple Music 1 show before releasing his new record Subtract on Friday

Interview: “I think the reason why I was more open about it this time around is that it’s not like people… That’s why I started therapy, because I live a very, very privileged life,” he said

Rough: Referring to Jamal’s death, Ed continued, “But money doesn’t buy back your dead friend. It just doesn’t work, and it doesn’t make it any better’

Ed sat down with Zane for an in-depth conversation ahead of the release of his new album, Subtract on Friday.

It comes after Ed revealed that he started having suicidal thoughts after the death of his best friend Jamal Edwards while making his latest album.

Jamal, a music producer and the son of Loose Women star Brenda Edwards, tragically died after suffering cardiac arrest caused by cocaine and alcohol in February 2022 at the age of 31.

Ed detailed the feeling of ‘drowning’ when another close friend, Australian cricketer Shane Warne, died the following month.

In a raw interview with Rolling stonethe singer explained that he was embarrassed by his suicidal thoughts because they seemed “selfish.”

Meanwhile, in the same chat, Ed also admitted that he had developed an eating disorder when he compared himself to other pop stars, including Justin Bieber.

Talking about his depression, he said in the interview, “My best friend passed away. And he shouldn’t have.

“I’ve always had low points in my life. But it wasn’t until last year that I really tackled it.

“I felt like I didn’t want to live anymore. And I’ve had that all my life… You’re drowning under the waves. You’re just kind of into this thing. And you can’t escape it.’

Ed added that being depressed seemed “selfish,” especially as a father. I’m really ashamed of it.’

With the help of his wife Cherry Seaborn who told him to get help, Ed went to see a therapist.

He explained, “No one really talks about their feelings where I come from. People think it’s weird to get a therapist in England… I think it’s really helpful to be able to talk to someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting.”

He continued, “The help isn’t a button that you press, where you’re automatically OK. It’s something that will always be there and just needs to be managed.’

Listen to the full interview on The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1 today at 5pm BST. Tune in to the show here apple.co/_Zane.