Ed Sheeran live in Bengaluru. Photo: Mark Surridge
Ed Sheeran Trusts the Heavy-Hitters to Add New Flavors on ‘Play’ Remixes EP
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Play’ Remixes EP Is Indian Crossover Done Right
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Play’ Remixes EP Elevates His Latest Songs with Indian Heavy-Hitter Artists
When Ed Sheeran’s lead singles to Play with “Azizam” and later, “Sapphire” (which features singing star Arijit Singh) dropped earlier this year, it was clear that the British pop artist was trying to draw from Eastern sounds–particularly Indian and Persian–and touring these regions for his eighth album.
It gave an early impression of Play being Sheeran trying pop of a different kind, one that had vocal melodies, instrumentation and production that mirrored the chart-topping music from countries like India, best heard on the Punjabi sample of “Symmetry” and “Sapphire.” Singh—a bona fide chart-topper in India—helped his friend out by recording Punjabi vocals, but clearly, Sheeran was thinking deeper.
His Play (The Remixes) EP is a four-track showcase of that thought. For all the articles written about the global leap that Indian music is making—from Punjabi stars Diljit Dosanjh, AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla to the Carnatic-meets-R&B concoction of Sid Sriram—these four tracks are part of that movement. Sheeran taps Aujla for “Symmetry” and the Punjabi-Canadian artist doesn’t miss, going all in for the remix. If you heard Sheeran singing just a smattering of Punjabi on “Sapphire,” on “Symmetry,” you can’t even fault his pronunciation. There’s a conviction in Sheeran singing in Punjabi that proves he’s put in the work and is on the same page as a star like Aujla.
Although Sheeran isn’t singing in Tamil on the “Don’t Look Down” remix, singer-songwriter Dhee, composer Santhosh Narayanan and rap star Hanumankind add plenty of South Indian cultural flavor to a song about resilience. Dhee matches harmonies with Sheeran but also leads her own section, with a Tamil vocal hook also added by Narayanan to make it sound fully filmi. Hanumankind’s distinct rap is set to some uncharacteristically upbeat production, but he’s clearly been chosen for his grit and that’s what shines on “Don’t Look Down.”
The “Sapphire” remix lets Singh take centerstage in a more emphatic way compared to the original English-focused version. There are additional verses in Hindi and Punjabi and vocal layers that make it sound rich, uplifting and very much arena-ready. The catchiest song on Sheeran’s album thus gets even catchier, even if it’s more focused towards Indian audiences.
“Heaven,” for its part, turns into a shaadi-ready, tearjerker outpouring of love. Jonita Gandhi walks the line between her affinity for pop and classically drawn vocal melodies, making her a perfect pick to match Sheeran for the lush song. We wouldn’t be surprised if this is the soundtrack to Indian weddings everywhere.
These four tracks have been transformed to a good degree by becoming remixes, but they also escape the trap of becoming known just as a new take on an existing song, because they’ve come out within a month of the original album. It’s possible that they could surpass the originals because of the new flavor they’ve been presented in. While it’s by no way fully representative of India’s music culture—Sheeran’s tour took him to Shillong, for example, so he could have tapped any of the North East’s sublime vocal talent like Taba Chake, Abdon Mech, Papon, Meba Ofilia or others—the EP is hopefully a gateway to many global listeners inquisitive about what pop music sounds like in India in 2025.
Play (The Remixes) EP comes at a time when we already know the likes of Gorillaz have worked with sarod artists Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, legendary vocalist Asha Bhosle and flautist Ajay Prasanna on a thematically (and sonically) India-inspired album called The Mountain. While that’s slated to release in March and we’ve so far only heard “The Manifesto” bearing the marks of conspicuous Indian instrumentation, Play (The Remixes) is a full-tilt into the variety-filled world of Indian pop and hip-hop. It hits the mark just right and though Sheeran and Gorillaz occupy different worlds in the music realm, they can now both claim to have leaned on desi artists in a big way.
From the time he was memed for appearing on Page 3 with Bollywood stars to now working with important Indian artists, it’s safe to say Sheeran really deserves that Aadhar card after Play (The Remixes) EP.
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