Ed Sheeran is winning at music and love! The British pop superstar, 26, revealed how he reconnected with his high school crush, Cherry Seaborn, in a new interview with Us Weekly Entertainment Director Ian Drew.
“One of our best friends worked on my tour,” Sheeran, who just dropped his smash third album, Divide, tells Us. “So when we came to New York, where she was living at the time, we hung out and reconnected through our mutual friend. She’s great.”
The “Shape of You” singer and the financial consultant, 24, first got acquainted at Thomas Mills High School in their hometown of Suffolk, England, but she moved to North Carolina shortly thereafter to attend Duke University. Sheeran, who now lives with Seaborn in their hometown, recently admitted to Rolling Stone, “One day this will [all] f–king end. And I know the one person that’s going to remain constant is Cherry.”
Read on to hear more of what Sheeran has to say about love, how she inspired the hit tunes on his No. 1 disc and his healthier lifestyle.
On His Worldwide Success
“I thought I would have hit my peak four or five years ago. I’m still baffled by how big it’s getting. The most wonderful thing is having the album just come out, playing gigs and singing lyrics of songs that have been secret for the last three years and how quickly people can learn the new song lyrics. I’m amazed.”
On His Year-Long Break
“I had as much time in the world as I needed to make a record. It was a nice safety blanket to have because I could really take my time with it. Whereas the previous two albums I’ve made on the road and tours. I did four months of traveling at first and six months living in my house in Suffolk making the record there. Finding my life balance again was the best. I hadn’t really adjusted completely to my new lifestyle so having a year off to balance it all out was quite important. I learned to prioritize what’s really important. I’ve got a strong group of mates and a wonderful girlfriend who I grew up with. I’ve got a house where I grew up. So I’ve kept my roots. It had all helped me to stay grounded.”
On Going Shirtless in His “Shape of You” Video
“My lifestyle changed. I realized I needed to start exercising, not necessarily to be slim but have a healthy heart. By exercising and not having such a wild lifestyle, you end up being a healthy human being. Having my shirt off in the video wasn’t my idea though. It was the director’s and it kind of happened very last minute. I wasn’t really comfortable with it but he lit it in such a way that it ended up looking quite cool.”
On How Cherry Inspired His New Ballad “Perfect”
“Perfect’ was the first song that I wrote for the album, It was inspired by Cherry. The line that goes, ‘Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song’ was about when we were in Ibiza listening to Future’s March Madness literally not wearing any shoes and going mental on the lawn, which was quite a nice time. I didn’t see her first reaction to the song because she lived in New York at the time. So I just emailed it to her but she did really like it.”
On How His Grandmother Inspired the Album Track “Supermarket Flowers”
“She was in the hospital near my house where I was recording the album. So I was visiting her every day and she was very much part of the whole album process. I worked with my brother for the first time, he did all of the string arrangements on the album, and that came from her wanting us to work together. When she passed away, I was in the studio and my knee-jerk reaction was to write a song about her. My mom heard it for the first time months ago. She sent me a very nice long email explaining her feeling towards it and how positive it was. We’re not going to live forever but the song will, which is quite a nice thing.”
On Starting a Family of His Own
“I want kids but just because you are ready doesn’t mean it has to happen. I think you could be ready for five to 10 years and then choose the right time. But I feel positive about it.”
For more of Ed Sheeran’s interview, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly.
