Ed Sheeran has learned there is no “magic” cure for depression but knows he’ll have ups and downs.
Ed Sheeran has learned there is no “magic” cure for depression.
The ‘Azizam’ hitmaker went through a tough time in 2022 when his best friend Jamal Edwards died at the age of 31, his wife Cherry was diagnosed with a tumour while pregnant with their second child, and he missed his grandmother’s funeral due to a court hearing over one of the lawsuits he was subjected to after being accused of plagiarism.
While Ed is still dealing with his feelings from that time, he has learned not to “lock away” the sadness and recognises that some days will always be better than others.
Speaking to TIME magazine as part of their annual TIME 100 list, he said: “One thing I’ve learned about depression is you don’t take a magic pill and it’s suddenly gone,” he says. “But you can have periods of your life where you’re better, and periods of your life where you’re not. It gets less and less painful year on year, but always allow yourself to feel grief. Don’t put it in a box and lock it away.”
During that time, Ed’s 2023 albums ‘-‘ and ‘Autumn Variations’ failed to sell as much as his earlier records, but he received some important advice from his friend Sir Elton John in how to navigate a professional low.
He said: “He’s had decades of his career where things haven’t gone well, and then suddenly he comes back with ‘The Lion King’ or something like that.
“It’s an inspiring thing, because it just means that you don’t ever have to judge your career on how you are at that point in time.”
Ed threatened to quit music if he lost the plagiarism lawsuits.
He said: “I don’t see why I would write songs ever again if someone owns the colour blue.”
The 34-year-old singer – who has Lyra, four, and two-year-old Jupiter with Cherry – felt like a “piggy bank, where people can just shake it” as a result of the lawsuits, but things have changed since his two major court wins.
He said: “Everyone’s left me the f*** alone—and the freedom really just lifted a weight.”
Ed has learned to look forward in his life after being ordered to turn over his old devices as part of evidence in a court case, but not having carried one in a decade, he got “really spun out” when he turned on his last one from 2015.
He said: “The first text was from my friend who died. The second text was from an ex-girlfriend, having an argument. The third text was from a family member I hadn’t spoken to in 10 years.
“[I realised] this isn’t healthy, trying to relive all of this. I’m now 34, married with kids, and I’m looking forward rather than back.”
Ed Sheeran learned there’s no ‘magic pill’ to get rid of depression
