In March 2023, Ed Sheeran revealed that he wanted a verse from Jay-Z on “Shape of You.” However, things didn’t go as planned. “We were in touch,” revealed Sheeran to Rolling Stone. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.'” While a normal person probably would’ve let the rejection get them down, Sheeran approached things from a different perspective. “He was probably right,” Sheeran continued. “He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
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Ahh, what could’ve been! Honestly, though, Sheeran’s version really doesn’t need a rap verse. But it’d certainly be nice for Jay-Z and Sheeran to give this whole collaboration thing another try. However, even Sheeran himself has expressed skepticism about an official team-up. “The people that [I’d] want to collaborate with aren’t the type to collaborate,” Sheeran said to the Independent in 2014. “For instance, if I just decided tomorrow that I wanted to do a song with Jay Z, it’s not going to happen just like that. I think he has to have the idea … It’s like that with me.”
