{"id":14113,"date":"2025-09-13T15:51:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T15:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/14113\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T15:51:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T15:51:12","slug":"ed-sheeran-plays-live-npr-tiny-desk-show-after-dropping-play-lp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/14113\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Sheeran Plays Live NPR Tiny Desk Show After Dropping ‘Play’ LP"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tEd Sheeran<\/a> made a bit of history on Friday morning (Sept. 12) when he played the first-ever livestreamed NPR Tiny Desk concert of this scale to celebrate the release of his eighth album, Play<\/a>. Taking to the office with his trusty loop pedal set-up, a keyboard and acoustic guitar, Sheeran got right down to business and proved he was in the moment by asking, \u201cis it live now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWearing a pink shirt cued to the color of the album cover, Sheeran first explained to the crowd how the loop rig works before bringing up a sample on his keyboard and playing the new album track \u201cSapphire.\u201d Layering in a guitar bit, banging on his acoustic to drop in a beat and recording his own backing vocals, Sheeran quickly built what sounded like full backing band accompaniment as he crooned the song\u2019s keening chorus, \u201cThe lights, your face, your eyes\/ Exploding like fireworks in the sky\/ Sapphire!\u201d and busted into the rap-like verses.<\/p>\n

\n\tSheeran recalled that he\u2019d visited the Desk before, though it was during COVID, so he filmed it remotely in a house in upstate New York, or maybe Jersey. \u201cIt\u2019s kinda mad being here and seeing the actual desk, it\u2019s great,\u201d he said, thanking the NPR staff for showing up to the place they already work to see him.<\/p>\n

\n\tWarning the rapt audience that he\u2019d only played the second selection once before on loop pedal and asking for forgiveness in advance in case he messed up, Sheeran proceeded to do just that and start over. Plucking a bluesy figure on his acoustic, Sheeran then smoothly leaned into the lyrics to the Play bad break-up single, \u201cA Little More.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cYou think I was born to ruin your life\/ But you did most of that before I arrived,\u201d he sang over a spare, strummy background before sliding into the stinging falsetto chorus, \u201cI used to love you\/
Now every day I hate you just a little more\/ Life got better when I lost you\/ But every day I hate you just a little more and more and more.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Desk has always been about breaking down the walls between artist and audience,\u201d said Bobby Carter, the series producer and host said in a statement released before the episode. \u201cWith this livestream, we\u2019re taking that intimacy worldwide. And trust me \u2014 Ed Sheeran is going to make history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThough by now he\u2019s used to playing for tens of thousands of screaming fans in stadiums around the world, Sheeran admitted to being \u201ca little nervous\u201d to perform for the modest crowd of public radio staffers. \u201cI don\u2019t usually get nervous, but this is fun,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\tHe then set aside the loop pedal for a run through the new album track \u201cCamera,\u201d a moving acoustic ballad about the beauty we can\u2019t always see in ourselves. \u201cYou should see the way the stars illuminate your stunning silhouette\/ You\u2019re glowing in the dark\/ I had\u2005to\u2005count to ten\u2005and take a breath\/ You think that\u2005you don\u2019t have\/ Beauty and abundance but you do\/ And that\u2019s the truth,\u201d he crooned. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe chorus was a heart-swelling expression of true love, with Sheeran singing, \u201cI don\u2019t need a camera to capture this moment\/ I\u2019ll remember how you look tonight for all my life\/ When everything is black and white, your color\u2019s exploding\/ There\u2019s somethin\u2019 in the way you shine\/ I don\u2019t need a cam\u0435ra when you\u2019re in my ey\u0435s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBefore his final song, Sheeran took time to thank NPR for letting his use his loop pedal, saying he could count \u201con one hand\u201d the amount of times other American media outlets allowed him to schlep in his trusty rig in place of a full live band. The set ended with the first Play single, the skittery \u201cAzizam,\u201d which he recreated via a thumping bass keyboard backing track and layers of acoustic guitars and backing vocals.<\/p>\n

\n\tSheeran is gearing up to take his Play show on the road with upcoming December stadium Loop Tour shows in Europe in December, followed by a run of gigs in Australia and New Zealand in January, February and March. At press time no U.S. dates have been announced for the Loop Tour.<\/p>\n

\n\tWatch Sheeran\u2019s Tiny Desk show below.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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