The original Play album dropped in September, but Ed Sheeran isn’t finished with it just yet. Now, fans can dive even deeper with the vinyl-exclusive deluxe edition, released today, a sprawling 27-track experience that peels back more layers of Sheeran’s life, heartbreaks, and quiet moments than ever before.
If you thought Play was just another chapter in Sheeran’s prolific discography, think again. This deluxe version features five brand-new songs and 14 bonus tracks that didn’t appear in the standard edition. It’s not just a few extras tacked on, it’s a full-bodied expansion that makes the vinyl version feel like its own event.
Sheeran fans will already be familiar with tracks like Sapphire, Azizam, Camera, and Old Phone, which anchored the standard release. But now, we’re offered a more textured listen with additions like Freedom, Regrets, Technicolour, and Skeletons, songs that lean into Sheeran’s signature mix of stadium-ready anthems and stripped-back confessional writing.
As a hopeless romantic and someone who thrives on songs that dig into emotional corners, Sheeran’s deluxe edition is addictive in the best way. One thing he’s always done well, even when the world critiques his commercial instincts, is storytelling. You never get the full picture, but he gives you just enough. It’s like overhearing something intimate from someone you’ll never fully know, and somehow it still feels personal.
Take In Other Words, a lo-fi piano track that sounds destined to be replayed during wedding season. It’s simple, heartfelt, and classic Ed, with lyrics that capture vulnerability in all the right places without tipping into cliché. Technicolour, by contrast, feels like a warm haze, it shimmers with optimism, like the sonic equivalent of golden hour. Sheeran doesn’t reinvent himself here, but he doesn’t need to. He stretches just enough.
Then there’s Don’t Look Down, a highlight from the new additions and a clear arena moment in the making. Co-written with Fred Again, the track blends emotional urgency with a rising pulse of rave synths and house rhythms. The influence is obvious, but it’s freshened by Sheeran’s trademark vocal runs and some slick Indian percussion that connects back to his time spent finishing the record in Goa.
Elsewhere, Freedom swells with cinematic energy, while Regrets gives off the intimacy of a late-night voicemail. These aren’t filler tracks, they’re reflective, textured, and clearly part of Sheeran’s current creative headspace.
And let’s not ignore how hard Sheeran continues to graft. After performing over 300 gigs in a single year back in 2009, his work ethic is legendary. That grind hasn’t faded. From busking in London to becoming a global pop fixture, Sheeran has stayed grounded, marrying his high school friend Cherry Seaborn in 2019 and now raising two daughters. It’s this everyman magic that still draws listeners in, even when he’s making chart-friendly pop for the masses.
Yes, the deluxe edition is long, but this time, it earns it. It’s not a bloated double-up or a lazy streaming grab. It’s an intentional, generous listen. At a time when artists are repackaging the same album for a sales boost, Sheeran’s giving fans something more: insight, effort, and a full emotional spectrum.
And the best part? You can hear many of these new tracks live when Ed Sheeran kicks off his Loop tour right here in New Zealand in January 2026. It all starts in Auckland, before heading to Wellington and Christchurch. If Don’t Look Down or Technicolour make the setlist, they’re going to hit even harder under stadium lights.
So whether you’re a vinyl collector, a lyrics-over-beats kind of fan, or just someone who needs a new heartbreak anthem, the Play deluxe edition is your full-body immersion into Ed Sheeran’s latest era. Just be warned: one listen in, and you might not want to leave.
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