On Dec. 21, Ed Sheeran released a new single called “Afterglow”. He later claimed this song will not be part of his new album, but it is the first piece of music fans have received in a long time.

After years of touring, he put out his sixth album and decided it was time for a long-awaited break. After that, Sheeran has not released any new material since 2019. This song marks Sheeran’s first single release in over 18 months. He has since stayed off social media and only posted once to tell his audience that he and his wife had a child. However, Sheeran dropped this new single with only a two-day warning social media post and minimal promotion. 

The song itself is a throwback to his old music. The sound is mostly just a makeup of his guitar and different layering and harmonizing of Sheeran’s voice. The lyrics are reminiscent of a wintry love song dedicated to his wife and new-born daughter.

Throughout the song, he describes how mesmerized he is by the beautiful lady by his side. He claims he would not mind time stopping around him because he would like to live in this moment forever. The song refers to the title which is that even if they had met at a time of darkness around them, their love kept burning bright and warm to keep them alive until the winter cleared. Promising that he will hold on to this love till the end of time, similar to the residual glow after the main light source has burnt out, an afterglow.

Overall, the song itself is simple yet sweet. Sheeran tends to keep his voice high pitched in this song which allows him to blend with his guitar more. The song is nothing like his last album  No.6 Collaborations Project which had more rock moments. This acoustic song is a blast from his past discography and definitely deserves a listen if you were a fan of that time period of his music. Although it was not his best work, it was a nice early Christmas present to receive.