Ed Sheeran tells Rolling Stone that he wanted Jay-Z to be on “Shape Of You

Ed Sheeran tells @RollingStone that he wanted Jay-Z to be on “Shape Of You”:

“I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’”

In a recent interview for the latest Rolling Stone cover story, Ed Sheeran opened up about his battles with depression, his new album “Subtract,” and various other topics.

One interesting insight the interview revealed was that Sheeran had initially wanted Jay-Z to feature on “Shape of You.”

He sent the song to the rapper, who responded by declining the offer, saying that the track did not require a rap verse. Sheeran acknowledged Jay-Z’s musical instinct and respected his decision.

“We were in touch,” says Sheeran. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”

The album sees Sheeran team up with Aaron Dessner of The National and is about “fear, depression and anxiety”. It’s also billed as the “last in his decade-spanning mathematical album era”.

In the same Rolling Stone interview, Sheeran shared that following the death of Jamal Edwards, he “felt like I didn’t want to live anymore,” elaborating that “those thoughts were bad enough, but shame arrived as their companion. They seemed selfish, especially as a father. I feel really embarrassed about it.”

Sheeran has also revealed plans for a posthumous album to be released following his death. That record will be a progressive work, with the singer planning to “add songs here and there” throughout the rest of his career.

“He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”