Ed Sheeran‘s new album = (Equals) isn’t even out yet, but the “Bad Habits” star is already planning the release of his next one. In fact, his manager says he keeps having to tell Ed to back off and wait a bit longer before he releases it.
Speaking to Music Week, Ed’s manager Stuart Camp explains, “He doesn’t like sitting on songs. They’ve either got to be given to someone else or they’ve got to be released, otherwise it just gets on his nerves that they’re there.” According to Camp, there are at least 60 to 70 songs left over from = (Equals) that are good enough to be on a future album.
“He keeps me telling me tentative dates [that he wants to release the next album] that are far too soon!” Camp complains. “So I’m like, ‘Let’s let this one live for a bit, shall we?'”
However, Camp is certain that if Ed’s upcoming world tour “goes on as long as people expect it to,” then the next record — which is expected to be called – (Minus) — will come out “well before the end of it.” In fact, Camp declares that the album will out “before the end of 2024…for sure.”
Camp promises “a few more surprises coming from Ed later this year, on top of the album” — one of which might be the Christmas single that Ed has said he and Elton John are putting out.
As for whether or not he and Ed expect = (Equals) to be as successful as ÷ (Divide) was, Camp says, “We know the market’s a different place, there are a lot more demands on people’s time and music is consumed in a different way…I think as long as he’s number one, he’ll be happy.”
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