The album was written during the autumn of 2022, a period Sheeran described as a time of change. He has cited two major inspirations for the record:
Arguably the most "pop" leaning track on the record, "Plastic Bag" uses a driving piano riff to describe the hollow feeling of clubbing when you are trying to forget someone. Sheeran sings with a raspy urgency: “We’re just dancing in a plastic bag / Waiting for the air to run out.”
A late-night rumination. The production here is the darkest, featuring low cello drones. It deals with intrusive thoughts that only come when the sun goes down. Tense and uncomfortable, it shows Sheeran’s range. Ed Sheeran - Autumn Variations -2023- Album ...
The opener sets the tone. It is not a bombastic lead single but a gentle sunrise. Detailing the flutter of a new romance, "Magical" uses metaphors of autumn light to describe how love changes our perception. It is optimistic but grounded—a "honeymoon phase" acknowledged as temporary but beautiful.
Autumn Variations is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Released just six months after his previous record, – (Subtract), this album marks a significant creative pivot for Sheeran. While Subtract was marketed as the conclusion to his decade-long "Mathematics" series, Autumn Variations serves as a standalone concept album. It was written during a period of personal upheaval and transition, exploring themes of friendship, grief, loneliness, and the passage of time. The album is notable for its sonic continuity with Subtract, largely due to the production of Aaron Dessner (of The National), who creates a melancholic, acoustic-driven atmosphere. The album was written during the autumn of
The premise is simple but intimate: Sheeran wrote 14 songs about 14 of his friends’ experiences with change, heartache, loneliness, and love during the autumn season.
Unlike Subtract, which was born out of personal trauma (his wife’s illness, Jamal Edwards’ death), Autumn Variations is observational. Sheeran plays the role of the quiet friend in the corner of the pub, watching the leaves and the relationships fall apart around him. The production here is the darkest, featuring low
Produced entirely by Aaron Dessner (of The National and Taylor Swift’s Folklore fame), the sonic landscape is lush but restrained. Think fingerpicked acoustics, soft horns, trembling strings, and a lot of space.