"Take Me Back to London" featuring Stormzy

Any Ed Sheeran fan can see how rap and R&B has influenced his music, but UK rap also has been an inspiration for the star, and Stormzy has been a big part of that. Ed explains, "I think rap in general [has influenced me], but UK rap was the first intro for me into this, was me doing that Collaborations thing. And I've been working with UK artists since then, but we've kind of been friends for a very, very long time, but never really worked together. He [Stormzy] remixed 'Shape of You' for me, but never really worked together on a song. Everything happens for a reason, and I feel like this [song] happened for a reason."

"Best Part of Me" featuring Yebba

In case you're just being introduced to Yebba, she is a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who has previously worked with artists like Chance the Rapper and Sam Smith. And her talent speaks for itself, which is why Sheeran chose her to be a part of his new project. He says of how he chooses artists to collaborate with, "You should only be working with people you think are better than you, so it helps you grow as a person. Like, when I did the song with Beyoncé, she definitely bodied me on that. The song with [Andrea] Bocelli, like, these people are at the peak of their game."

Yebba has known Ed for a while now, and actually went on tour with him several years ago. The two have always stayed in touch, and recently reconnected during one of Sheeran's Wembley Arena shows. He explains of how "Best Party of Me" came together, "We had been on e-mail and she sent me demos of her songs that I've listened to and stuff like that. We've always had a really cool relationship. I got on the phone with her one day, and I was like 'I have this song.' [I] sent it to her, she sent back her verse, and I was like, we have to get in and make sure that the chorus lifts and we can sing it together, and it sounds like we've actually been in the same room and made it. A song like that, you can't really make remotely, you have to be in the same room. Sometimes I play people artists, and some people will be like, 'Oh my God, this is the best thing in the world!' And some people will be like, 'I just don't get it.' But, there's no one that doesn't get her [Yebba]. It's so easy to get. It's just like, 'Wow, she's incredibly talented.'"

Sheeran also opened up about how this song relates to him and his wife. He says, "I constantly wake up everyday, with Cherry, and I'm just like, 'Why the f*** are you with me? You could literally be with whoever you want, and you chose me. I'm saying all of the things that I think are wrong with me, and you still wanna me with me.' And i just find that amazing."

"Remember the Name" featuring Eminem & 50 Cent

"Remember the Name" is not the first time Ed and Eminem (Edminem?) have worked together. Sheeran collaborated with the rapper on a song called "River" off his 2017 album Revival, but it was always a childhood dream of Ed's to work with Eminem. He says, "I had two songs I always wanted to do with Eminem. I was like, 'If I ever get to work with Eminem, there's two songs I wanna do.' One's an introspective story and one is something that is more of a nod towards some of the cheekier songs on the Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show. And I was like, when I work with him, because in my mind, I was always like, 'It's going to happen, I've just got to wait,' I'll do those two songs. And one led to the other. So, I did the 'River' song with him for the Revival record, and then through that, got to know him. And then I was able to sit down with him in Detroit and approach him with this song, and it didn't feel weird. And now I feel like I've ticked my two boxes. Feels good."

Sheeran adds, "If you could've told 12-year-old me I would rap on a song with Eminem when I was older, like, so many people say that I can't rap, but I'm allowed on a song with Eminem and 50 Cent rapping. So, why does it matter?"

"I Don't Care" featuring Justin Bieber

"I Don't Care" is the first song Ed released from No 6 Collaborations Project, and he explained how Bieber was the perfect artist for the song. He says, "Bieber just got married. I just got married. That song is about the person you love, and kind of just being like 'F*** this, let's just have fun ourselves.' It was actually Cherry's idea, because she was like, 'Oh, why don't you get Bieber? He'd be perfect for this, he just fits it.' I have quite a good relationship with him. I met him at [New York City's] Z100. He came up and said, 'Oh I'm a big fan,' and I was like, 'Wow, have you heard my music?' So we kept in touch. I wrote some songs for him and with for his projects. We've just hung out a bunch of times. I wanna work with Bieber. He's just got one of these voices that works on anything, and he's got personality when he sings."

This song contains lyrics that relate to feeling social anxiety — "I'm at a party I don't wanna be at." And Sheeran explains that he himself doesn't like to be around too many people, also explaining of having some social anxiety, "I used to be super social at industry functions. My hobby was to go out and meet people that I admired, and go out and drink with them, and end up at a bar. That was my favorite thing to do. So, I ended up meeting all my musical heroes, and going out to bars with them and having fun with them. And then now, when I go to these events, I just have social anxiety. I hate large groups of people, which is ironic, because I play shows for a living. But, I just feel claustrophobic and don't like being around too many people."

Later on he adds, "I don't mind talking to people. I have no problem with having a conversation with people. It's just when people film me and sh*t, and just stare at me. It makes me feel weird, because it makes me feel like I'm not human. If you're coming up and having a conversation with me, it makes me feel human, even if we've never met. The thing that instantly shuts me off is having a moment like that with someone that's so human and so nice, and then being like, 'Can I have a picture?' It kind of then puts you back down to Earth and then you're literally just 15 likes on Instagram. That's what you are."

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