Grief: Ed Sheeran manifests his grief for his late friend Jamal Edwards in the touching music video for his new single Eyes Closed, which debuted on Thursday evening
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Ed Sheeran turns his sadness into a huge blue monster in Eyes Closed
Daily Mail
24/03/2023
Ed Sheeran manifests his grief for an old friend into the touching music video for his new single Eyes Closed, which debuted on Thursday evening.
The 32-year-old singer dropped an emotional teaser for the video on Wednesday, which already had fans reeling, with one claiming, 'Already crying my eyes out.'
The Halifax, West Yorkshire native explained in January that the song - which is the lead single off his fifth studio album - (Subtract) - is a tribute to his good friend Jamal Edwards.
Edwards was just 31 years of age when he passed in February 2022 from cardiac arrest from alcohol and cocaine abuse.
While Sheeran originally envisioned Eyes Closed as a break-up song, it changed significantly when Edwards passed, with the singer using a huge blue monster to manifest his grief and sadness for his loss.
The video begins with a shot of a car sinking deeper and deeper in a body of water, with an unconscious Sheeran inside, before it flashes to a fully conscious Sheen walking into a bar.
'I know it’s a bad idea/But how can I help myself/Been inside for most this year/And I thought a few drinks they might help,' Sheeran sings as he walks in and takes a seat at the bar.
A beer is set in front of him as he continues to sing, while a door from behind the bar is opened and a bartender walks through... as we get a first look at a massive blue monster that is said to represent the singer's sadness.
'Every song reminds me you’re gone/And I feel the lump form in my throat/‘Coz I’m here alone,' Sheeran sings before breaking into the chorus.
'Just dancing with my eyes closed/‘Coz everywhere I look I still see you/Time is moving so slow/And I don’t know what else that I can do,' he sings, while the video shows him wandering through a crowd of young people dancing in the bar.
He's seen taking shots and sitting at a table alone, while the blue monster looks over at him.
The song continues, 'Delusion is here again/And I think you’ll come home soon/A word brings me right back in/Then it’s only me that’s in this room,' as he looks out of the bar window and we see the reflection of the blue monster.
He's seen leaving the bar with the monster following close behind as he's then seen in the bathroom and then a small diner with the blue creature accompanying him.
Car: The video begins with a shot of a car sinking deeper and deeper in a body of water, with an unconscious Sheeran inside, before it flashes to a fully conscious Sheen walking into a bar
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'Everything changes, nothing’s the same/Except the truth is now you’re gone/And life just goes on,' Sheeran sings before heading into the chorus again.
The video cuts back from the bar and the diner with a few shots of him still drowning in the car, before he's sitting alone in a diner with the blue creature standing over him.
'They’re shutting the bar/They’re cleaning the floor/And everyone is already home/But I’m on my own,' Sheeran sings, as he's standing in the bar alone with the blue monster.
He walks out of the bar as we see another woman walking in, with a different creature following her in, while he walks past another man standing by his car with another unique creature at his side.
The singer walks down a wooden pier as the blue creature looms over him from behind, as we see several shots of Sheeran looking up at the creature for the first time - seemingly facing his sadness head on, so to speak.
He keeps staring up at the creature before it disappears as Ed walks back up the pier alone as the video comes to an end.
Diner: The video cuts back from the bar and the diner with a few shots of him still drowning in the car, before he's sitting alone in a diner with the blue creature standing over him
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Fans were quick to react to the video on social media including @_brightttwinnn, who said, '#EdSheeran I hope you'll be okay! We'll be okay!!!!!'
@allthingswifted added, 'It's very beautiful you guys. Love you sm @edsheeran #EyesClosed.
@CareoSR626 added, 'Madre mia. This album is gonna wreck me' with the hashtag #EdSheeran.
@SelmaNkelo shared a meme of Robert Downey Jr. adding, 'What a delivery.'
@nixxx_h added, 'Hits hard bruh. I miss you @edsheeran #EdSheeran #EyesClosed.
@kookievhane added, 'It's really been awhile @edsheeran I'm crying' with the #EyesClosed hashtag.
@_brightttwinnn added, 'I WANNA CRY!!!!!' while @madengakan added, 'HE NEVER FAILED ME!!!'
@1LoganAdams1 added, 'This song is so fire, thank you @edsheeran! I'll be dancing with my #eyesclosed Love this song and Ed so much.'
@LaVidaEmo added Ed Sheeran's new song is so heartbreaking,' while Brent Lindeque added, 'Ed Sheeran just released a beautiful, tragic song dealing with loss, grief and sadness. I'm not crying. You are.'
@simonmaderazo added, '@edsheeran new song "eyes closed' is such a vibe' while @karolina_kolodynska added, 'This song also means a lot to me. Thank you for doing what you are doing. We love you.'
Ed recently revealed that the first single off his new album Subtract is dedicated to his late friend Jamal.
Jamal, a music producer , tragically died after a cardiac arrest brought on by taking cocaine and drinking alcohol in February 2022 at the age of 31.
Ed announced the release of his sixth studio album, explaining it had been inspired by personal tragedies he has faced, including his wife Cherry Seaborn's tumour and Jamal's death.
Posting on Instagram to his 42 million followers on Wednesday, the Shape Of You singer revealed the loss of his close friend had inspired the track and that he is 'dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it'.
He penned alongside the post: 'Eyes Closed is out 24th march, you can pre order it now.
'This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and every thing just reminds you of them and things you did together.
'You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.
'Blue was Jamal’s colour, but now is all I feel. And I guess music helps heal, so I’m dancing with my eyes closed to try get through it x'
Alongside the images, the singer posted two black-and-white photographs, where he appeared deep in thought as he reflected on the emotional toll of the past couple of years.
In January Ed dedicated a moving tribute to his friend Jamal at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC.
The Sing hitmaker's 64-bar freestyle was fuelled by raw emotion, as he detailed the deep grief he's experienced since losing his best friend last year.
He also revealed his regret that Jamal - whose death left Ed with suicidal thoughts -was unable to meet his daughter Jupiter, eight months, and says he would have chosen him as her godfather.
It comes as Ed admitted he faced suicidal thoughts after the death of his best friend Jamal.
Ed, 32, detailed feeling like he was 'drowning', when another close friend, Australian cricketer Shane Warne passed away the following month.
In a raw interview with Rolling Stone, the singer explained he felt shame around his suicidal thoughts as they seemed 'selfish'.
Meanwhile in the same chat, Ed also admitted that he'd developed an eating disorder as he compared himself to other pop stars including Justin Bieber.
Speaking about his depression, he said in the interview: 'My best friend died. And he shouldn’t have done.
'I’ve always had real lows in my life. But it wasn’t really till last year that I actually addressed it.
'I felt like I didn’t want to live anymore. And I have had that throughout my life.… You’re under the waves drowning. You’re just sort of in this thing. And you can’t get out of it.'
Ed added being depressed seemed 'selfish, especially as a father. I feel really embarrassed about it.'
With the aid of his wife Cherry Seaborn who told him to seek help, Ed started seeing a therapist.
He explained: 'No one really talks about their feelings where I come from. People think it’s weird getting a therapist in England.... I think it’s very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting.'
He continued: 'The help isn’t a button that is pressed, where you’re automatically OK. It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed.'
Okay: Fans were quick to react to the video on social media including @_brightttwinnn, who said, '#EdSheeran I hope you'll be okay! We'll be okay!!!!!'
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