Amateur musician covers Ed Sheeran's song before release sparks online trend

In the UK, an amateur musician named Luke Gittins successfully recorded a cover of Ed Sheeran's new song 'Azizam' before its official release on Friday, April 4, 2025. Gittins, who is based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, utilized promotional clips to deduce the song's structure and taught himself how to use a loop pedal to accurately recreate and record it. His quick work garnered attention as Ed Sheeran himself endorsed Gittins’ rendition on Instagram, highlighting the musician's talent and dedication. The cover was made possible due to the plethora of teasers that Sheeran shared prior to the release of the song. In a candid reflection, Gittins stated, "There’s no higher privilege than having your work shared by the person who actually did the work and made the song." He mentioned that while he was not aiming for recognition, he felt inspired by the quality of the song and the excitement surrounding its release to produce his own version before anyone else could. In recent times, Gittins has gained attention for his covers of Sheeran’s songs, including one for 'Eyes Closed', which led to Sheeran personally acknowledging Gittins' efforts through social media. Gittins, who is a guitar teacher by profession, has emphasized his experience and ability to learn quickly as reasons for his success in creating the cover. He also expressed admiration for Sheeran's live performances and loop pedal skills, acknowledging that learning the loop pedal was one of the more challenging aspects of his cover. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran's single 'Azizam' is significant not just for its timing but also for incorporating Persian musical elements, marking a new direction in his artistic evolution. The title, which translates to 'my dear' or 'my darling' in Farsi, features instruments like the ghatam and the santur, reflecting a celebration of Persian culture. Sheeran's collaboration with Iranian-born songwriter Salmanzadeh was instrumental in bringing these influences to the forefront of his music. As Sheeran continues to explore new musical horizons, 'Azizam' is positioned to resonate particularly with audiences in the Middle East, which is recognized as a rapidly expanding market for music.