The phrases “Ed Sheeran” and “hard rock anthem” wouldn’t seem to go together, but the sensitive balladeer has channeled his inner rock god on his new single “BLOW.” The song brings him together with Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars, who themselves are a couple of strange musical bedfellows for a collaboration like this. But the three are actually nowhere to be found in the music video, which was released on July 8. Watch it above.
The hard-charging song includes sexy come-ons like “You make me wanna make a baby” and “Tell me, what’s your fantasy?” but the men themselves yield the floor to a trio of women who stand in for them on the stage of the Viper Room: Cherish Waters as Sheeran, Jordan Kelly DeBarge as Stapleton and Cheyenne Haynes as Mars. The video was also directed by Mars, who previously channeled a different era with his 1990s-inflected “Finesse” video, and his work here gives off a similarly nostalgic vibe, like a deleted scene from “Rock of Ages.”
This is already the fifth single from Sheeran’s “No. 6 Collaborations Project,” which drops on July 12 and features duets with a variety of artists. Before this he released “I Don’t Care” (with Justin Bieber), “Cross Me” (with Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock), “Beautiful People” (with Khalid) and “Best Part of Me” (with Yebba). Just those five tracks already suggest the wide-ranging talent showcased in the collection, as well as an equally eclectic set of musical styles. There’s more where that came from since the rest of the album features artists from the world of hip-hop (Eminem, Travis Scott), R&B (H.E.R.) and electronic dance music (Skrillex). How many of them do you think will “BLOW” you away?
Be sure to make your Grammy predictions so that record executives and top name stars can see how their music is faring in our Grammy odds. Don’t be afraid to jump in now since you can keep changing your predictions until nominations are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2020 Grammys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our music forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
