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Ed Sheeran Thought About Retiring From The Industry After Becoming A Father

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Fatherhood has truly had an impact on Ed Sheeran, so much so that the singer/songwriter contemplated quitting the industry after he welcomed his daughter, Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran, in August 2020.

Speaking with British GQ, the chart-topper revealed that his goals of fine-tuning his artistry and making music stopped the day that he became a parent, alongside wife Cherry Seaborn. "When my daughter was born I just said, ‘Maybe this is me now.’ It was such a switch in my life and, wow, it was bringing me so much. Joy, of course, but obviously parts of it were really difficult too,” Sheeran explained to the outlet. “I can’t really explain it, but I felt so much life was coming at me, I thought, ‘Well, this is what I’m meant to do now.’ I stopped playing the guitar, stopped writing songs and I stopped singing.” Did he seriously think about quitting? ‘I actually convinced myself I was never going to sing or pick up the guitar again. I was like, ‘No. This is it. I quit.'"

The chart-topper ended up spending four months not doing anything musically and having a chat with an older friend who was also going to retire. "I told him that I needed something, as after about four months I had lost all-purpose. Even though my new purpose was being a dad, if you asked me what I did I wouldn’t be able to tell you. My answer would be 'Erm, I do f*ck all,'" he recalled.

Sheeran went on to ask himself if it was more important to be around for Lyra entirely or have a job that his daughter can look up to. "I saw myself as technically being unemployed during that period of non-creation and, to be honest, I was f*cking miserable. I wanted Cherry to see me happy and thriving,” he continued.

Expect to hear more of Sheeran's personal trials on his new album, = (Equals), which drops October 29. The 14-song collection has been described as his "coming-of-age record," per the star. "My life changed greatly over the past few years – I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album," he said in his album announcement.