ED SHEERAN is weeks away from launching his next album, only three months after the release of Subtract.
The Shape Of You singer is coming to the end of his Mathematics world tour and teased fans in Minneapolis by playing three new songs from the upcoming record.
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Ed told the crowd those songs were a “good playlist for autumn,” before signing off from the show by saying: “Autumn is coming, I will see you soon.”
Ed spent the weekend hanging out on Richard Branson’s Caribbean retreat Necker Island with the Virgin mogul, where he got out his guitar for an impromptu concert
Insiders tell me he will be releasing the album through his Gingerbread Records label, which is a subsidiary of Atlantic.
A source said: “Ed is going to be dropping a brand new record next month.
“It’s going to be massive for his fans, who’ve never had him drop two albums in a year before.
“It’s a massive change for him, as for years he has followed the traditional path of releasing a major album then going on tour.
“Now he’s going to drop the album to give fans something to look forward to after he wraps up the Mathematics tour next month.
“He has started testing out the material on fans at recent concerts and the reaction has been incredible.
“Everyone has been hugely respectful by not filming or recording the songs so they can be a surprise to those who weren’t at the concerts. It is going to be massive.”
His previous albums have included 2011’s Plus, Multiply in 2014, Dive in 2017 and 2021’s Equals.
Earlier this month Ed admitted he was looking to switch his way of working.
He said: “Every time I work out the music industry, it changes. So I kind of want to do my own thing, rather than try and do the traditional thing.
“The next thing that comes out will be something that’s not been done before, I guess. I am planning an interesting roll out of it.”
In his mathematics series, the first three were whoppers — 2011’s Plus sold 5.5million, 2014’s Multiply sold more than 9million and Divide in 2017 shifted 7.7million.
But Equals in 2021 had 1.3million sales and Subtract less than a million.
A recent estimate suggested his digital singles stand at more than 90million units.
Ed has told me before how his life is a “flurry of songwriting”.
Sometimes he knocks out multiple hit songs a day and he once wrote 25 in a week.
His workrate is simply astonishing.
Cash in on Xmas
TAYLOR SWIFT is now preparing to cash in on Christmas.
Despite being on course to make tens of millions from her Eras world tour, it seems she’s not forgetting the “small stuff” as well.
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New legal documents reveal Tay-Tay has trademarked her 2019 song Lover for use on festive decorations, including baubles.
Taylor already has a bunch of twee Eras decorations on her website, including a £25 swan ornament and a £25 scarf that you can hang from your tree.
I think I’ll stick with my Wilko decs.
Eye popping
BEYONCE’S fully grown these days, tearing up her Renaissance world tour in an eye popping series of skimpy looks just like this.
But that hasn’t always been the case, as Usher rudely reminded us the other day.
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The R&B star shared tales from when Queen Bee was just 12 years old and in a fledgling band called The Dolls.
He told Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp: “Fun fact, I knew Beyonce when she was 12 years old, 11 years old. I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls.
“I was at [songwriter] Daryl Simmons’ house, who was working with [The Dolls] at the time, and I just happened to be over there and they were working on a session.
“I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that — the oldest person in the room.”
At 44, the Yeah! Hitmaker is only three years older than Beyonce.
So I’m sure she and her pals didn’t mind him hanging around.
Take a plunge
RITA ORA shows she is an all-action girl by getting kitted out and leaping from a plane.
She swapped her usual bikinis and eye-popping stage outfits for a padded jumpsuit and goggles when she took on the 15,000-ft skydive as part of an adventure show.
Read Related Also: Helen Flanagan wows in plunging dress as she teases ‘date night’ after it’s revealed she’s dating again
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Rita made the jump for Bear Grylls’ National Geographic show Running Wild: The Challenge.
The explorer warns Rita: “It’s gonna be cold, we’re gonna be high, it’s minus 25 degrees up there.”
A teaser trailer shows her teetering on the edge of the plane’s door as she whispers: “Holy f**k!” before diving out.
On landing, she’s buzzing and yells: “I just went straight out, that was amazing.”
Race is on to drag in Adele
RUPAUL super-fan Adele is being lined up to appear on Drag Race a guest judge.
A source said: “Drag Race All Stars is coming back for a ninth series and bosses are lining up Adele to get on board.
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“She is a huge fan of the show and they know it would be a real coup to have her on as a guest judge.
“They have approached Adele about getting her involved and would love to see if she can make it a reality with her.”
Adele has made no secret of her love for drag queens and last year got up on stage during Porn Idol in Soho with British drag star Cheryl Hole.
She was filmed drinking and pole dancing during the show, with Cheryl telling us she was stunned to be joined by a superstar on stage.
Cheryl, real name Luke Underwood, said: “She loves to party and is a real good-time girl. She was fan-girling over my costume and was clearly there to just have a good time.
“When she came out on stage I thought, ‘Oh she wants to have a party.’
Woody is party wise
WHEN your parents are Nineties party animals Fat Boy Slim and Zoe Ball, you have a lot to live up to when it comes to big nights out.
But rising star DJ Woody Cook has learned a number of lessons from his folks, including calling it a day.
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Woody, who has a residency at Louche in London every Friday, said in an exclusive chat: “My dad often goes, ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,’ which doesn’t really put anything off the table. They were very transparent about their lives.
“They both had to stop one day because they went too far. I am a party animal but I pace it, I know when to go to bed.”
What a Willy
NOEL GALLAGHER has found a new way to wind up his brother Liam – this time by taking the mickey out of his name.
Despite now being blokes in their 50s, they are still trading verbal blows.
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Now High Flying Birds frontman Noel has targeted Liam’s real moniker, which is William John Paul Gallagher.
Noel said of his younger brother: “Liam’s name is William – so, Little Willy.
“There was a period where he was referred to as Little Willy, and that was between 1993 and 1998.
“His name is William John . . . f*** knows. But his name is William, that’s what it says on his birth certificate.
“William is kind of, it’s very English – William of Orange and all that.”
I am sure Liam will thank you for bringing that one up, Noel.
ELLIE GOULDING had the splodgy look off to a tee while performing at the Women’s Open golfing tournament.
She wore the purple and orange crop-top and trousers as she sang some of her biggest hits at the event in Walton Health, Surrey.
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Ellie was on top form at the gig despite having a tough time at home.
I revealed she and art dealer Casper Jopling, her husband of four years, had been spending time apart.
Pals said Ellie and Casper, who have a young son, Arthur, were weighing up what to do.
They added: “There is no discussion of a divorce and neither of them have been in a new relationship – the priority is to keep good friends and remain amicable while they work out their next steps, so they can stay close and enjoy being mum and dad to Arthur.”
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