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Ed Sheeran is heading to Season 21 of The Voice.
On Wednesday (October 6), it was announced that the 2021 Jingle Ball act is joining coaches John Legend, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. He’ll mentor the remaining artists ahead of the Knockout Round, which kicks off October 25, following the Battle Rounds. For the former, the contestants will be paired against a teammate, where they choose their own song while their competitor watches and waits.
Word of Sheeran's gig arrived shortly before it was revealed that he is dropping a Christmas single with Elton John. "Elton rang me on Christmas Day to say Merry Christmas. Elton rings me almost every single day. He said, 'Step Into Christmas is Number 6 in the charts! I want to do another Christmas song - will you do it with me?” Sheeran recalled during an interview with Dutch radio station NPO Radio 2. “It's just me and him. It's great."
Aside from the collaboration, Sheeran is gearing up to release his fourth studio album, =, which is scheduled to drop October 29. "= (Equals) is a really personal record and one that means a lot to me," Sheeran said in a statement about the LP in August. "My life changed greatly over the past few years — I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album. I see it as my coming-of-age record, and I can't wait to share this next chapter with you."