Ed Sheeran’s Grief Turns Into Big Blue Monster in “Eyes Closed” Video

Ed Sheeran in concert at Miller Park, Milwaukee in 2018.
Ed Sheeran in concert at Miller Park, Milwaukee in 2018. Photo by RMV/Shutterstock (9946526o)

Ed Sheeran’s upcoming album will deal with the themes of grief and loss, and the music video for its first single perfectly encapsulates these feelings. The emotional visual for “Eyes Closed” is here and it sees Sheeran coming face to face with grief – in the form of a big blue monster.

Sheeran described “Eyes Closed” as a song “about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and the things you did together.” Losing his friend and mentor Jamal Edwards, who suddenly passed away last year, served as the main inspiration for this track.

The visual for “Eyes Closed” was directed by Mia Barnes, and it features a big blue monster that follows Sheeran everywhere he goes. This character was inspired by the movie Harvey and a book that he read to his daughters, where sadness is encapsulated by an imaginary creature. It represents grief that follows us around, engulfing the rooms we’re in, even when no one else can see it.

“Eyes Closed” was released as the lead single from Sheeran’s upcoming album Subtract. It will be released through Asylum and Atlantic Records on May 5 and feature a total of 14 tracks.