Ed Sheeran’s new single “Sapphire” isn’t just a regular song that you find on YouTube. It’s a detour of India’s vibrant cultures & soul music. I think he effortlessly pulled off the best soundtrack ever made by foreign artists here. Big Surprise is his collaboration with musical grandmaster Arijit Singh. Let’s get into more details of this wonderful journey.
Spark like a Star
Ed Sheeran visited India as part of the “Mathematics” album tour and travelled to Arijit’s Studio & his hometown, Jiaganj, West Bengal. The background story is that Sheeran got deeply moved by Arijit’s vocals and lyrics of “Tum Hi Ho” from the Aashiqui 2 film. That’s when they became close pen pals for a long time and collaborated on this indie song.
We can spot some scenes where they both travel on a bike lip-syncing the lyrics. Even the song contains a 5=7 seconds of Punjabi backdrop in Arijith’s vocals. In fact, Sheeran took Punjabi coaching from Arijith and included a tagline, “Cham Cham Chamke Sitare Varki” at the first verse, which is attractive and a special tribute to the Sapphire lyrics.
Beautiful Lyrics and Visuals
Most of the video features self-portrayal of Sheeran across different landmarks of India, which he visited as part of a tour. We can see Bahubali references from Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, the beaches of Goa, the Hills of Shillong, and his concert. Around 3 minutes of playtime, it has beautifully crafted lyrics from Sheeran, Ilya, Johnny, & Savan Kotecha. Thus, gives a perfect blend of Western pop to Desi melodies.
Sheeran mentions “Saphhire” to be his fav out of his new album and close to his heart.
Cameos and Connection
Guess what, the video has a short cameo of King Khan, Shah Rukh lip-syncing to lyrics with Sheeran. Audience calls this iconic moment of musical harmony. We can also see him wearing the Rajasthan Royals, RR jersey while visiting the iconic palaces in Jaipur. Another key value is, Sapphire has top-class producers like Ilya and Kotecha investing in a high production value, which makes the music more authentic and elaborate.
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Direction and Camerawork
The Sapphire’s musical video is directed by Liam Pathick, who focused on the self-love theme set against the backdrop of real Indian surroundings. They have shot during his tour, including the basic street life rickshaws, even played football with children at the beach, we can see Arijit Singh and Sheeran driving and singing on a scooter, which gives a classy at comfortable vibe, that’s Sapphire for us.
Till the last second of the song playing, it’s excellent camerawork and editing. They focused on Sheeran’s happy side while indulging in every movement is very beautiful.
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Views and Popularity
Sapphire has got the immediate attention of the global audience for its cross-cultural reference, combining pop music with traditional Punjabi roots. After releasing recently, on June 5, the music video has received more than 12 million YouTube views in just two days. There is even a teaser with Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo.
Most of the music critics have appreciated the fusion & inclusion of cultural accuracy. The song is full of a bright, positive, and brotherhood vibe to enjoy. So do listen now!
Written by: Meghana Pinninti