SA Music News Magazine Join Warner Music Africa For Ed Sheeran ‘Subtract’ Listening Session

SummerRaine May 9, 2023

2 minutes read

Last week Warner Music Africa hosted a Media listening session for Ed Sheeran’s highly anticipated album ‘Subtract’ which was scheduled for release the following day, 5th May. The SA Music News Team was fortunate enough to be in attendance. Despite the fact that Ed Sheeran himself couldn’t make it to the event, being overseas claiming his victory on the unjustified and controversial court case, it was a tremendous success with a fantastic turnout.

As we entered the venue in Rosebank, we were issued headphones and offered popcorn and slushies (pineapple being the crowd favourite, for good reason – nudge nudge, wink wink). We were then able to mingle whilst immersing ourselves in the experience of Ed Sheeran’s latest 14 track, fully acoustic project on repeat. The audience was in high spirits, eager to hear the final offering of his mathematical series which was produced and co-written by Aaron Dessner of indie rock band, The National.

The headphones provided an immersive sound experience, allowing us to fully appreciate the musical nuances of the album, and later we were asked to vote on our personal favourite off the intensely emotional ‘Subtract’ album. Our team all voted for track nr 3, “Eyes Closed” and our Editors Top 3 were Track nr 2 – Salt water, (the longest and most sombre track on the album centered around suicide) Track nr 3 – Eyes Closed (a song dedicated to Ed’s late friend Jamal who passed away from a sudden heart attack) and track nr 4 – Hills of Aberfeldy (written over the space of 10 years which Ed brought in to intentionally conclude the standard version of ‘Subtract”).

In addition to the listening experience, there were also a variety of arts and crafts activities available at the venue that attendees participated in. This added an extra layer of creativity and interactivity to the event, making it a well-rounded experience for music lovers and the artistically inclined. Warner Music Arica also provided the attendees with a delicious dinner which included the best chicken wings ever!

Overall, the listening session was an excellent way to experience Ed Sheeran’s album in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Kudos to Garth Brown from Warner Africa for a listening session expertly crafted to provide an engaging and memorable experience. The event was a triumph for Warner Africa, and we at SA Music News were thrilled to be a part of it. We look forward to future events from the Warner Music Africa team and are amped to see Ed Sheeran perform live in SA in the future.