Ed Sheeran, the globally renowned artist, has revealed that his adoration for Indian playback singer Arijit Singh began years ago, when he first heard Arijit's performance of ‘Tum Hi Ho’ from the Bollywood film Aashiqui 2. The song's emotional depth and evocative melody had such an impact on Sheeran that it sowed the seed for a future collaboration, which has finally come to life with their new single ‘Sapphire.’
Sharing on Instagram, Sheeran wrote: “I first became aware of @arijitsinghmusic when I watched Aashiqui 2 and heard 'Tum Hi Ho'. I was proper spellbound by his voice, the song, the scene in the movie. I checked him out, and got in touch, and said whenever you wanna sing together I’m down.”
The two musicians initially met in London, where Arijit Singh was touring. Ed Sheeran played Arijit an early demo of ‘Sapphire’ after sharing the stage with him to sing his hit song ‘Perfect’.
Their creative journey did not finish at the studio. Ed decided to travel to West Bengal, India, to see Arijit in his hometown. His journey was an adventure in and of itself: After landing in Kolkata, he drove for five and a half hours, crossed a river, and then rode scooters around Arijit’s village to watch the sunset. Sheeran thought of the whole experience as a "proper core memory" for himself and his father, who accompanied him on his trip.
During this trip, Arijit also gave Ed an insight into Indian culture. He learnt a few Punjabi words and was introduced to Indian classical instruments such as the Sitar. Reflecting on their time together, Ed described Arijit as "one of the most talented humans I've ever met" and expressed his gratitude for Singh's creative contributions to ‘Sapphire.’
This collaboration between the two talented performers has aroused enthusiasm among fans around the world. While more information regarding the track's release and musical style is unknown, the collaboration is a brilliant example of connecting across cultures through music.
