Ed Sheeran launches ‘playful’ new era with Persian-influenced song, Azizam

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After a pair of low-key, introspective albums, Ed Sheeran has returned to his roots with a shimmering new pop single, Azizam.

The track sees the star incorporate Middle Eastern influences, inspired by producer Illya Salmanzadeh's Persian heritage.

The title means "my dear" or "my darling" in Farsi, and the track incorporates instruments like the ghatam, a clay pot commonly used as percussion in Southern India, and the santur, a hammered dulcimer of Iranian origin.

"Now the song's finished, and it's out, I'm discovering more and more every single day that Persians are really, really proud of their culture, and it's great to celebrate it," Sheeran told BBC Radio 1.

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