East Meets West: Ed Sheeran Releases New Hit Song "Azizam"

My Mamanjoon (grandmother) called me a few weeks ago with some exciting new news in the Persian pop music industry. "Stella joon!" she cried ecstatic over the phone. She was over two thousand miles away in Maryland sitting in her cozy living room, but I could feel her energy like she was right next to me. "Have you heard of Ed Sheehaan?" The name sounded familiar to me, but it wasn't ringing a bell. Sheehaan was a curious name. Quasi Irish with a middle eastern spin. Could it be Iranian? I told her I hadn't heard of him. "Well, he's just come out with a song with lyrics in Farsi and its a hit!" she said. I immediately opened google and began searching. "It's funny because, Sheehaan isn't much of a Persian name, and he certainly doesn't look Iraanian with his bright red hair." My eyes landed on an article from the BBc and I burst out laughing.

"Mamanjoon," I said with a chuckle, "It's Ed Sheeran! And he's not Iranian. He's a super famous British musician." We both laughed together and I thanked her for sharing the news before diving into the matter myself.

While Ed Sheeran isn't Iranian, it is true that he released a song called "Azizam" (My Dear) featuring influences from Persian langauge and musical style. The song was inspired by Sheeran's Iranian Producer Illya Salmanzadeh. It includes traditional Persian instruments such as the clay pot drum known as ghatam and the stringed instrument called the santur. The recording also includes background vocals from the Citizens of the World Choir which is a group of singers who are also refugees or allies.

The song has also expanded Sheeran's popularity in the middle east which is the fastest growing music market of the world. Listen to it today!