Ed Sheeran is back with new music (Picture: Getty Images)

Ed Sheeran has dropped his brand new single and it’s a tear-jerker, as the singer details his grief following the death of his best friend Jamal Edwards. 

The Shape Of You singer is set to release his brand new album ‘-’ (Subtract) on May 5, completing his mathematical album series which has included ÷ (Divide) and x (Multiply). 

His new single, Eyes Closed, will lead the new album and was written several years ago following a break-up. 

However, the song took on a whole new meaning after Ed, 32, suffered overwhelming grief after the death of his friend and SBTV founder Edwards, who died in February 2022, as well as former cricketer Shane Warne – who he was also close with – in March 2022. 

Lyrics on Eyes Closed include: ‘It’s been a while now dear, dealing with the cards life dealt/ I’m still holding back these tears, and my friends are somewhere else.’ 

Opening up about the track, the Bad Habits singer said: ‘This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and the things you did together. You sorta of have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.

Jamal Edwards, who died in February 2022, was Ed’s best friend (Picture: Instagram)

‘When I was thinking of concepts for the Eyes Closed music video, I wanted to make a video inspired by movies like Harvey, where the main character has an imaginary friend who’s a giant rabbit that no one can see.’ 

Referring to his children Lyra, two, and Jupiter, nine months, he continued: ‘There’s also a book I read my daughters where sadness is encapsulated by an imaginary creature. Often sadness is something that follows you around, engulfing the rooms you’re in, and you can feel and see it, but no one else around you can. 

Ed is currently on a mini tour across the UK (Picture: WireImage)

Eyes Closed was written a few years ago after Ed went through a break-up (Picture: Atlantic Records)

‘So, I decided to create my own big blue monster for the video. He gets bigger and bigger as the video goes on, ‘til he takes up whole rooms, and is all I can see, just like sadness.’ 

The Eyes Closed music video was directed by Mia Barnes and sees the singer on a night out being followed by a blue monster – serving as a metaphor for grief, Ed is unable to shake it, wherever he goes, reminding him of the void that’s left in his life.

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It comes after Ed shared how he refused to take drugs following Edwards’ death, with the entrepreneur dying from a heart attack following cocaine use. He also revealed how he ‘didn’t want to live any more’ before seeking therapy on advice from his wife Cherry Seaborn. 

Ed’s new album ‘-’ (Subtract) will arrive on May 5.

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Eyes Closed will feature on Ed’s new album ‘-’ (Subtract), out in May.