Ed Sheeran's new album comes 4 months after his last: What we know about 'Autumn Variations'

by Melissa Ruggieri

Ed Sheeran still has feelings to share.

On Sept. 29, the prolific singer/songwriter will release “Autumn Variations,” a 14-track collection of new songs that explore the shared emotions of love, heartbreak, depression and loneliness among Sheeran and his friends.

“Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded," Sheeran said in a statement announcing the album.

“When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time.”

Ed Sheeran's new album "Autumn Variations" arrives September 29, 2023

Sheeran teamed with The National’s Aaron Dessner for “Autumn Variations.” The pair “clicked immediately” after working together on Sheeran’s new album “Subtract”, released in May.

Sheeran also was inspired by the British composer Edward Elgar, who wrote the orchestral works “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” and “Enigma Variations.” The latter – individual compositions about 14 of Elgar’s friends – piqued Sheeran’s interest when he learned about Elgar from his father and brother.

“Autumn Variations” follows Elgar’s blueprint with 14 songs featuring titles including “England,” “Punchline,” “Midnight” and “The Day I Was Born.”

Sheeran’s new album comes as he approaches the end of his worldwide “Mathematics” tour, which broke attendance records in nearly every stadium it played in North America since its launch May 6. The tour wraps Sept. 23 in Los Angeles.

Sheeran also endeared himself to locals while on tour, using his between-shows time to surprise music students with instruments, sling cheesesteaks at a restaurant in Philadelphia and play his early hit “Lego House” in front of a Lego store in Minneapolis.

Photo: Annie Leibovitz

The "Autumn Variations" track list

1. “Magical”

2. “England”

3. “Amazing”

4. “Plastic Bag”

5. “Blue”

6. “American Town”

7. “That’s On Me”

8. “Page”

9. “Midnight”

10. “Spring”

11. “Punchline”

12. “When Will I Be Alright”

13. “The Day I Was Born”

14. “Head > Heels”

First published at USA Today, August 24, updated August 25, 2023