By Maya Georgi
Ed Sheeran is delving deeper into Persian culture with the video for his new track “Azizam.” Directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Saman Kesh, the video follows Sheeran as he struggles to write a new song in the studio, only to be thrust into the vivacious happenings of a Persian wedding.
The singer-songwriter is bombarded with several kisses on the cheek as he helps prepare food for the ceremony, gets decked out with a killer turquoise bomber jacket, and dances with a throng of Persian wedding guests. Finally, Sheeran crowd surfs right back into the studio where Iranian singer Googoosh tells the singer-songwriter to do what he does best and “write a hit song.”
“Azizam,” released earlier this month, is a joyful celebration of Persian culture from its title, which translates to “my dear” or “my beloved,” to the producer behind the unique rhythms, Ilya Salmanzadeh. “I wrote Azizam after Ilya suggested trying out making music inspired by his Persian heritage and culture,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram when the song was released. “It was like opening a door to a completely new and exciting world. I loved how a lot of rhythms, scales, melodies and instruments were different but similar to the Irish trad music I had grown up with,” he added.
Similarly, the concept for the song’s vibrant visual came together when Sheeran asked Salmanzadeh his thoughts. “‘He said, ‘you gotta do it as a Persian wedding, that’s the best way to showcase all of the culture in a video,’” the singer shared via Instagram. “I found it was so similar in ways to the Irish weddings I grew up going to, but obviously so different in other ways,” Sheeran wrote, adding, “Much like the rhythms and instrumentation of the song, I find our two cultures have so much intertwined similarities. But underneath it all is love and pride.”
A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)
“Azizam” will appear on Sheeran’s upcoming eighth studio album, titled Play. He revealed the album’s title during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, during which he also partially premiered a song titled “Old Phone.” The musician explained that he made his way through mathematics symbols with his albums Plus, Multiply, Divide, Subtract, and Equals, and is now focused on Play, followed by Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop.
At the end of 2024, Sheeran hinted at the sonic vision for Play. “It feels like I’m getting back into big pop for the first time in a long time,” he told Variety. “It’s quite exciting.”
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