Ed Sheeran is opening up about his unseen journey of loss in a new four-part docuseries, “Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All.”
The series, which premieres May 3 on Disney+, centers on both the singer-songwriter’s unlikely rise to fame as well as the personal matters of love and loss that inspire his chart-topping music. “Everything in my life sort of got so much better once Cherry got into it,” the artist says of his wife in the trailer released Monday. “Now, I’ve got[ten] married, and I’m a dad who has two daughters.”
What Sheeran identifies as a “peak” quickly went downhill as Cherry faced health problems and his best friend Jamal Edwards, who the pop singer has previously credited with launching his career, passed away suddenly.
“You guys said you want to make a documentary, and I went, ‘yeah, and it should be me in the studio and we’ll play the gig.’ That’s not what the documentary is,” Sheeran says in the trailer. “Loss — it just took over my life.”
The docuseries will coincide with the release of Sheeran’s sixth studio album, “ – ” (pronounced “Subtract”), which is set to launch Friday, May 5, following the debut of single “Eyes Closed,” which will debut Friday, March 24.
“I’ve always been very guarded in my personal and private life; the only documentary I’ve ever made has been one that focused on my songwriting,” Sheeran said in a statement. “Disney approached me to make a four-part documentary, and it felt like the right time to open the door and let people in. I hope people enjoy it.”
“In this docu-series, we’re going to reveal a side of Ed Sheeran that fans have never seen before,” President of Disney Branded Television Ayo Davis said. “Together with Fulwell 73, we’ve created something truly authentic and personal that will not only entertain audiences but also inspire them to dream big and pursue their passions.”
The series will feature episodes titled, “Love,” “Loss,” “Focus” and “Balance.” Hailing from Fulwell 73 Productions, Ben Winston and Ben Turner serve as executive producers for Fulwell 73 and David Soutar serves as director.
“Everyone in the world knows and loves Ed Sheeran’s songs, as he has been the soundtrack to so many moments of our lives,” Turner and Winston said in a joint statement. “But this series of films shows the true man behind the hits, showing Ed in an entirely different way after a tumultuous year personally and professionally. This four-part series has been an honor for us to make.”
