Ed Sheeran has new album ready to drop just three months after Subtract – and the release date is weeks away

ED SHEERAN is weeks away from launching his next album, only three months after the release of Subtract.

The Shape Of You singer is coming to the end of his Mathematics world tour and teased fans in Minneapolis by playing three songs from the upcoming record.

Ed told the crowd the new songs were a “good playlist for autumn,” before signing off with: “Autumn is coming, I will see you soon.”

Ed spent the weekend hanging out with Richard Branson on his Caribbean retreat Necker Island, where he got out his guitar for an impromptu concert.

Insiders tell me he will be releasing the new album through his Gingerbread Records label, a subsidiary of Atlantic.

A source said: “Ed is going to be dropping a brand new record next month.

"It’s going to be massive for his fans, who’ve never had him drop two albums in a year before.

“It’s a massive change for him, as for years he has followed the traditional path of releasing a major album then going on tour.

“Now he’s going to drop the album to give fans something to look forward to after he wraps up the Mathematics tour next month.

“He has started testing out the material on fans at recent concerts and the reaction has been incredible.

"Everyone has been hugely respectful by not filming or recording the songs so they can be a surprise to those who weren’t at the concerts.”

Earlier this month Ed said he was looking to switch his way of working.

He explained: “Every time I work out the music industry, it changes. So I kind of want to do my own thing, rather than try and do the traditional thing.

“The next thing that comes out will be something that’s not been done before. I am planning an interesting roll-out of it.”

In his Mathematics series of albums, the first three were whoppers — 2011’s Plus sold 5.5million, 2014’s Multiply sold more than 9million and Divide in 2017 sold 7.7million.

But Equals in 2021 had 1.3million sales and Subtract less than a million.

A recent estimate suggested his digital singles stand at more than 90million units.

Ed has told me before how his life is a “flurry of songwriting”.

Sometimes he knocks out multiple hit songs a day and he once wrote 25 in a week. His work rate is simply astonishing.

Cash in on Xmas

TAYLOR SWIFT is now preparing to cash in on Christmas.

Despite being on course to make tens of millions from her Eras world tour, it seems she’s not forgetting the “small stuff” as well.

New legal documents reveal Tay-Tay has trademarked her 2019 song Lover for use on festive decorations, including baubles.

Taylor already has a bunch of twee Eras decorations on her website, including a £25 swan ornament and a £25 scarf that you can hang from your tree.

I think I’ll stick with my Wilko decs.

Eye popping

BEYONCE’S fully grown these days, tearing up her Renaissance world tour in an eye popping series of skimpy looks just like this.

But that hasn’t always been the case, as Usher rudely reminded us the other day.

The R&B star shared tales from when Queen Bee was just 12 years old and in a fledgling band called The Dolls.

He told Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp: “Fun fact, I knew Beyonce when she was 12 years old, 11 years old. I don’t know if I could consider myself their babysitter, but I had a time where I had to watch The Dolls.

“I was at [songwriter] Daryl Simmons’ house, who was working with [The Dolls] at the time, and I just happened to be over there and they were working on a session.

“I kind of found my way into being their like, I don’t know, chaperone, nanny, or something like that — the oldest person in the room.”

At 44, the Yeah! Hitmaker is only three years older than Beyonce.
So I’m sure she and her pals didn’t mind him hanging around.

Take a plunge

RITA ORA shows she is an all-action girl by getting kitted out and leaping from a plane.

She swapped her usual bikinis and eye-popping stage outfits for a padded jumpsuit and goggles when she took on the 15,000-ft skydive as part of an adventure show.

Rita made the jump for Bear Grylls’ National Geographic show Running Wild: The Challenge.

The explorer warns Rita: “It’s gonna be cold, we’re gonna be high, it’s minus 25 degrees up there.”

A teaser trailer shows her teetering on the edge of the plane’s door as she whispers: “Holy f**k!” before diving out.

On landing, she’s buzzing and yells: “I just went straight out, that was amazing.”

Race is on to drag in Adele

RUPAUL super-fan Adele is being lined up to appear on Drag Race a guest judge.

A source said: “Drag Race All Stars is coming back for a ninth series and bosses are lining up Adele to get on board.

“She is a huge fan of the show and they know it would be a real coup to have her on as a guest judge.

“They have approached Adele about getting her involved and would love to see if she can make it a reality with her.”

Adele has made no secret of her love for drag queens and last year got up on stage during Porn Idol in Soho with British drag star Cheryl Hole.

Adele has made no secret of her love for drag queens and last year got up on stage during Porn Idol in Soho with British drag star Cheryl Hole.

She was filmed drinking and pole dancing during the show, with Cheryl telling us she was stunned to be joined by a superstar on stage.

Cheryl, real name Luke Underwood, said: “She loves to party and is a real good-time girl.

"She was fan-girling over my costume and was clearly there to just have a good time.

“When she came out on stage I thought, ‘Oh she wants to have a party’.”

Woody is party wise

WHEN your parents are Nineties party animals Fat Boy Slim and Zoe Ball, you have a lot to live up to when it comes to big nights out.

But rising star DJ Woody Cook has learned a number of lessons from his folks, including calling it a day.

In an exclusive chat, Wood, who has a residency at Loosh in London every Friday, said: “My dad often goes, ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’ which doesn’t really put anything off the table.