Singer Ed Sheeran has published archived photos from a phone he hasn`t used in 10 years

Which foreign stars did the artist find in these shots and how did these photographs help him write a new song? We explain.

The British artist posted the photos on his Instagram account. Ed shared that he hadn't used a smartphone since 2015. Instead of a mobile phone, he prefers to communicate with friends via email.

In 2023, when Sheeran was involved in a legal dispute over allegations of copyright infringement on the song "Thinking Out Loud," he had to turn on his old device again. (In November 2024, according to People, the court ruled that the similarity of his hit to Marvin Gaye's song "Let’s Get It On" was not a copyright infringement).

Singer Ed Sheeran with a mohawk shows a gesture with his index finger and pinky — Archived photos of Ed Sheeran from his phone

The first text he received at that moment was from a friend who has since passed away. He also received messages from an ex-girlfriend and family.

Sheeran compared the old phone to a time capsule: it preserved old photos, conversations with relatives, and colleagues. Among the pictures were selfies with Taylor Swift, photos of his wife Cherry Seaborn, producer Benny Blanco (Selena Gomez's boyfriend), and other close friends.

When I turned it on, I was truly shocked. I found myself crying over messages from friends who are no longer alive, with whom I can no longer speak. I found old photos of me with people I was so close to back then, but since then, we've lost touch. The whole experience was such an emotional journey.

Ed Sheeran

The musician admitted that this emotional experience inspired him to create a track that was included in his new album. The song was titled "Teddy’s Old Phone." Sheeran also named his new Instagram account the same, where he eventually posted the archived photos.

Producer Benny Blanco sits at the table with his mouth open and looks at the camera, singers Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift take a selfie looking at the camera — Archived photos of Ed Sheeran with Benny Blanco and Taylor Swift

Maybe this song will make you turn on your old phone and remember where you were ten years ago, Ed wrote.

Singer Ed Sheeran looks and smiles in the yellow-orange light next to the figures of people — Ed Sheeran in 2025

Earlier, we at zoomboola.com reported on archived cassette recordings of Michael Jackson's songs, which were accidentally discovered by a former police officer.