If you happen to be chilling at the House in Paradise beach club in Ibiza on Monday night (Sept. 26) you got an even wilder night/morning than you planned for. That’s because Ed Sheeran hopped up on stage unannounced to play a short, four-song set for the partygoers that mixed one of his most beloved hits with a trio of drunken last-call sing-alongs that perfectly fit the mood.
In footage of the impromptu gig posted by the club, patrons are just minding their own business as a DJ spins some tunes on a beautiful sunny day when one of the owners hops on stage and announces, “we’ve got a very, very special guest in the house… because we have got not one of, we’ve got the biggest pop star in the world. You know who it is… ladies and gentleman Mr. Ed Sheeran!”
Dressed casually in green cargo shorts and a white t-shirt, Sheeran, hoisting a wine glass, tells the excited crowd that he’s going to sing one of his and “then we’re going to have a sing-song.” Sheeran then busted into his 2017 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Shape of You” accompanied by a backing track and saxophone, with the packed crowd shouting along.
“I love karaoke. I’m gonna sing karaoke now and you’re gonna sing along with me,” a relaxed Sheeran shouted before busting into an a cappella intro to the Backstreet Boys’ iconic “I Want It That Way” and then jumping into the middle of the crowd to sing among the sea of upheld phones capturing the singular moment.
Looking like he was having the best time, Ed made his way back to the stage and checked the lyrics on his phone before busting into Neil Diamond’s perennial sloppy sing-along “Sweet Caroline,” accompanied by an electric violin, guitar and sax, his white shirt and shorts splashed with the remnants of someone’s drink. Loving the crowd interaction, Sheeran led the crowd in the “touching hands, reaching out” chant before hopping into the maw again and bouncing in front of the stage as he sang the chorus.
The mini-concert sloshed to a close with the house DJ cueing up Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” during which the house sang appropriately off-key harmonies to Sheeran’s lead vocals. The set ended with Sheeran thrusting a giant Pokemon plushie into the air, which was fitting since the singer will drop his new Pokémon-themed single “Celestial” on Thursday (Sept. 29) accompanied by a music video illustrated by the video game’s animators.
Sheeran also debuted a new tattoo last week on his Instagram in honor of the collaboration, revealing that he now has an image of the fan-favorite Pokémon character Squirtle below his right elbow.
Watch the Ibiza mini-show below.
