Head-bopping with Shah Rukh Khan, scooty rides with Arijit Singh and singing on the sets of Baahubali; Ed Sheraan releases Saphhire music video

The music video for Ed Sheeran’s new single “Sapphire” is finally out, and the song is a love letter from Ed to India, a country which he has talked about extensively in the past, expressing his love for the culture and music. Shah Rukh Khan is seen singing along with Ed, and Arijit even has a small verse in the song, which he sings in Punjabi. The entire video has been shot across different locations in the country, including the sets of Baahubali and the streets of Kolkata and Hyderabad.

The singer had shared a sneak peek into this Western-Punjabi fusion project, which is part of his eighth studio album, Play. Ed had talked about Arijit helping him out with the Punjabi lyrics but hadn’t been clear whether the singer would be singing on the track or not. The visuals from the video include Ed travelling in a local bus, dancing with people in a cafe, exploring the sets of Baahubali, and taking in the scenic Hooghly River while standing on the barge in Kolkata. Much of the music video is shot in POV-style with the camera set straight on Sheeran as he travels from city to city.

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‘Play’ is expected to come out on September 12, and three singles from the album have already been released. The album is much more interactive than anything Ed has put out in the past, with all three songs building some sort of connection with his fans. “Azizam”, which came out in April, is Ed’s ode to Persian heritage and culture, and he even recorded a looper version of the song on the roofs of Old Delhi. The next single, “Old Phone”, again has a very personal and touching music video, with Ed doing a pop-up show for all his fans in a local pub. He said, “I wanted fans to all come to this special first pop-up Old Phone pub gig to all be there for the same reason and be emotionally connected. I wanted everyone in that room to have felt the same feelings of nostalgia, longing, joy and sadness I had felt from going through my old phone.”

“Sapphire” maintains the tone for the album which Ed Sheeran incidentally completed during his trip to Goa, even though all three tracks are quite different from one another.