Ed Sheeran’s Documentary Debuts

Songwriter, a documentary about Ed Sheeran directed by his cousin Murray Cummings, has debuted on Apple Music. The intimate doc – which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the spring – follows the singer-songwriter over a 10-year period, leading up to the creation of his chart-topping album Divide.

Despite his massive success as a songwriter, Ed has managed to keep his personal life away from the spotlight. But in the documentary, the 27-year-old singer gives peeks into corners of his world that he usually keeps tightly under wraps – including his family, his relationship with fiance Cherry Seaborn and his creative struggles.

It’s clear from the film Ed is a perfectionist when it comes to his songwriting, and his standards may be some of the highest in the business. At one point, he’s heard telling his team he doesn’t want to be the “male Adele,” but rather “be Adele.”

“A lot of people call out the competitive side of me, but if you’re a basketball player, you should [aim to] be better than LeBron James,” he explains. “You can’t just be like ‘Oh, I’m happy in my lane.’ You have to aim for the top. I don’t think any artist will do what Adele’s done. I don’t think I could do what Adele’s done, but if you don’t aim there then you won’t get there.”