Ed Sheeran plays cricket and chills with Shah Rukh Khan in his desi-flavoured ‘Sapphire’ music video|Watch

Ed Sheeran has dropped his new track, Sapphire, which was filmed guerrilla-style during his recent trip to India. The music video features Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and renowned singer Arijit Singh. Earlier this year, Sheeran returned to India for his six-city tour, his largest in the country to date.

The 3-minute video for Sapphire, a song Sheeran had been teasing for some time, showcases some unexpected moments. Highlights include Arijit Singh driving Ed on a scooter, him playing cricket and football, and Ed and Shah Rukh Khan singing along to the song’s lyrics.

The making of ‘Sapphire’

Sheeran revealed that Sapphire was the first song he completed for his new album Play. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, he said:

"It’s why I finished the recording process in Goa surrounded by some of the best musicians in India. It was an incredible creative process. I shot the music video with Liam [Pethick, director] and Nic [Minns, DOP] across my India tour earlier this year, we wanted to showcase the beauty and breadth of the country and its culture.”

"The final jigsaw piece for me was getting Arijit on the record. It was a journey to get there, and such an amazing day of music and family. Me and him have done a full Punjabi version of the song that will come out in the next few weeks, which has a lot more of him on it. This is the album version of the song and my favourite song on the album. Hope you guys love it.” he concluded.

A glimpse into ‘Play’

Ed Sheeran recently shared a teaser for Play on Instagram. Alongside this, he released an emotional new single titled Old Phone. Reflecting on the album’s creation, Ed wrote on Instagram:

"Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that, I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring.”