Ed Sheeran has always understood how closely joy and sorrow can intertwine — a theme he explores in the moving video for his reflective track “Old Phone.”
Released on Thursday morning (May 8), the video was directed by Emil Nava and serves as the second single from Sheeran’s upcoming album Play, arriving September 12. It begins with Sheeran sitting on a hotel bed, scrolling through old messages on a dusty Blackberry he recently found. In a voiceover, he shares, “I was finding text messages from people that aren’t even here anymore and reading conversations with people I wish I could have conversations with now.”
That moment of rediscovery led him to do something deeply personal — he built a temporary pub in Ipswich, MA this past March. Fans could enter by submitting a video or message from an old phone that carried personal meaning. As Sheeran sings, “I found my old phone today/ In a box that I had hidden away/ Nostalgia trying to lead me astray/ Maybe I’ll unwrite some wrongs,” scenes of fans waiting in line for a once-in-a-lifetime experience unfold.
The video shows the creation of the “Old Phone Pub” and Sheeran’s reactions as it comes together. He greets fans gathered outside, visits nearby locations to spread the word, and even plays a spontaneous street performance in Ipswich. The visuals also feature Sheeran alone in a bowling alley and touching moments as fan-submitted clips are projected inside the pub.
One emotional submission came from a mother who shared a video of her two daughters, now deceased, aged 12 and 4 in the footage. “They were just goofin’ off just being sisters,” she says, as the clip plays on the outside of the pub. Other memories included a woman recalling an ex-boyfriend, and a man dancing with his late grandmother at a wedding — the latter of whom is seen talking with Sheeran outside the venue.
“It was really cool to watch that and to be able to share with him some of our stories. That was nice,” the mother adds.
The video concludes with Sheeran reminiscing over old home videos and performing “Old Phone” live in the pub with a group of Irish musicians backing him. “I wanted to make it feel like the song does… raw, stripped-back, emotional, nostalgic and special,” Sheeran reflects at the end.
Over recent weeks, Sheeran has made surprise appearances in small venues across Boston and Nashville, including a duet performance with Noah Kahan at Santa’s Pub, and even recreated the pop-up pub at Coachella.
Watch Sheeran’s “Old Phone” video below:
