When Ed Sheeran dropped a track with a Farsi title, people definitely did a double-take. Honestly, it's not every day you see one of the world's biggest pop stars diving headfirst into Iranian musical traditions. But here we are. Ed Sheeran Azizam isn't just another acoustic ballad about a pub in Suffolk. It's a massive, shimmering bridge between Western pop and Middle Eastern heritage that basically took the 2025 charts by storm.
What Azizam Actually Means (and Why Ed Used It)
If you're wondering what the word even means, it’s pretty simple but carries a lot of weight. Azizam translates from Persian (Farsi) to "my dear" or "my beloved." It’s the kind of word you use for your spouse, your kids, or even a close friend you haven't seen in forever.
Sheeran didn't just pick this out of a dictionary to sound "exotic." The song was heavily influenced by his producer, Ilya Salmanzadeh (known as ILYA), who has Iranian-Swedish roots. ILYA has worked with everyone from Ariana Grande to Beyoncé, but this project felt more personal. He suggested Ed lean into Persian scales and rhythms, and surprisingly, Ed found they weren't that different from the Irish traditional music he grew up with.
The track was released on April 4, 2025, as the lead single for his album Play. While critics at The Telegraph were a bit salty—calling it "musical Esperanto"—the actual Persian community went wild for it. It’s one thing to sample a beat; it’s another to have a global superstar singing "Azizam, meet me on the floor tonight" during Nowruz (the Persian New Year).
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The Story Behind the Music Video
The music video is a whole vibe. Filmed in South London around February 2025, it’s basically a massive Persian wedding celebration. If you look closely, you’ll spot some absolute legends in the background.
- Omid Djalili: The British-Iranian comedian brings his signature energy.
- Googoosh: An actual icon of Iranian pop music.
- Andy: Known as the "Prince of Persia," his cameo was a huge nod to the diaspora.
Directed by Saman Kesh, the video avoids the typical "music video" tropes. It feels like a real party. There’s a scene with a sofreh aghd (a traditional wedding spread) that looked so authentic it sparked thousands of appreciative comments from Farsi speakers on Instagram. Sheeran even released an all-Persian version featuring Googoosh later in April, which was a pretty bold move for a guy from Halifax.
Is the Song Really About Cherry?
Usually, when Ed writes a love song, we all assume it’s about his wife, Cherry Seaborn. This time, he basically confirmed it. He tagged her in a Valentine’s Day post with the caption "Azizam ❤️" right before the song launched.
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The lyrics mention "moving like the water" and getting lost in the "dancing lights." It’s a return to that "big pop" energy he’d stepped away from during his more somber Subtract era. The production uses traditional instruments like the santur (a hammered dulcimer) and the daf (a frame drum), but they’re layered over a beat that feels right at home in a club in 2026.
Ed Sheeran Azizam: More Than Just a Gimmick?
Some people were worried this would be cultural appropriation. It’s a valid concern. However, the involvement of ILYA and the inclusion of Iranian artists like Arash and Eyelar Mirzazadeh on backing vocals changed the conversation.
"It was like opening a door to a completely new and exciting world," Ed mentioned in a BBC Radio 2 interview with Scott Mills.
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He didn't just record the vocals and leave. He actually spent time learning about the rhythms and the significance of the phrasing. For many Iranian-Americans and Iranian-Brits, hearing their heritage woven into a song that reached number three on the UK Singles Chart felt like a massive moment of visibility.
Technical Details for the Music Nerds
If you’re into the production side of things, Ed Sheeran Azizam is a masterclass in hybrid genre-blending. Mixed by the legendary Serban Ghenea, the track balances the organic woodiness of the lute and santoor with crisp, modern synth-pop elements.
The song's structure isn't your standard verse-chorus-verse. It feels more fluid, almost circular, mimicking the traditional dance styles of the Middle East. It’s short, too—clocking in at just 2 minutes and 42 seconds. It’s built for the TikTok era but has enough soul to stay on your "All-Time Favorites" playlist.
How to Actually Enjoy This Era of Ed
If you're just getting into the Play album, don't stop at the radio edit. To get the full experience of what Ed was trying to do with the Persian influence, you should:
- Check out the Googoosh remix: It's more atmospheric and highlights the Farsi lyrics much better than the original pop version.
- Watch the "Making Of" clips: Ed posted several videos of him and ILYA in the studio where you can hear the raw santoor tracks before the electronic drums were added.
- Listen for the "Irish" connection: Try to hear the similarities between the Persian scales and the folk fiddling Ed usually uses—it's actually pretty wild how much they overlap.
The takeaway here is that Ed Sheeran Azizam proved pop music doesn't have to be boring or safe. By stepping outside his comfort zone, Sheeran managed to create something that felt both brand new and deeply familiar. It wasn't just a chart-topper; it was a cultural handshake that people are still talking about a year later.