Ed Sheeran’s “Play” Deluxe Edition exposes raw confessions on marital struggles, family sacrifices and the dark side of global touring

Ed Sheeran is opening up like never before. The global superstar has made a startling admission about the challenges in his marriage to wife Cherry Seaborn, revealing deeply personal struggles on the deluxe edition of his September album, “Play.”

Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn, who first met as children and reconnected romantically in 2015, have largely kept their relationship private despite his global fame. The couple married in a small, intimate ceremony at their Suffolk home in late 2018 and have since welcomed two daughters, Lyra Antarctica and Jupiter. Their marriage, long seen as steady and grounded, is now revealed in Sheeran’s new music to have weathered significant strain during his years-long touring schedule.

The expanded release features 13 additional tracks, many of which chronicle the emotional toll his three-year Mathematics World Tour took on his home life. In several songs, Sheeran — now 34, confronts the strain on his relationship and the weight of being away from his young family.


One of the most revealing tracks, “Problems,” finds the “Thinking Out Loud” singer addressing cracks in the couple’s relationship.

“Flowers in our garden are dying. When did the water run dry? Who can tell? But you want the truth, we’re not fine,” the lyrics read. “We got problems, and we don’t know how to solve them.”

He echoes similar turbulence in “War Game,” describing daily exhaustion and the pressure of constant change:

“Every day we feel deflated. Tryna roll with all the changes. Reality of what we’ve created.” The song continues with a painful confession: “There’s no one above or below you, you are all I want. But I feel that it’s not enough to just offer you my love.”

In “Regrets,” Sheeran shifts focus to the impact of his schedule on his daughters, expressing sorrow over missing time with his children: “You’re too young to understand that Daddy’s coming home. Every time I leave the house, you think I’m forever gone,” he reflects.

He continues, “Guess it’s from the hundred calls, goodnights on the telephone. See this tour, I’ve gotta get it done, but why though? Missed out on so much, I really need to make it up.”

Sheeran confirmed their marriage months later, in a July 2019 interview with Charlemagne tha God while discussing his album “No. 6 Collaborations Project.”