Ed Sheeran Reveals Jay-Z Passed On Being Featured On “Shape Of You”

According to Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z “respectfully passed” on the opportunity to appear on the singer’s massive hit song “Shape of You.” When it was first released at the beginning of 2017, “Shape Of You” went five times platinum in its first year, making it one of the most popular UK singles ever on streaming services.

Sheeran said in a new interview with Rolling Stone that he had been “in touch” with Jay-staff Z regarding a possible collaboration but that Jay-Z had rejected the idea.

Sheeran said,

We were in touch. 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. So it was a very natural, respectful pass.”

Sheeran will release a new album called “-” (pronounced “Subtract”) this May. A Disney+ documentary titled Ed Sheeran: The Sum of it All will premiere on May 3, and that record is scheduled to be released on Asylum/Atlantic on May 5.

Sheeran and The National’s Aaron Dessner collaborated on the album, which deals with “fear, depression, and anxiety.” Moreover, it is described as the “final of his decade-album-spanning mathematical phase.”

In the same Rolling Stone interview, Sheeran revealed that after Jamal Edwards passed away, he “didn’t want to live any longer,” 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.”