Celestial

The word "celestial" is used to describe things that have to do with the heavens. It refers both to visible heavens - the sun, moon, and stars are celestial bodies - and those who dwell in the spiritual heaven such as angels and spirits. Here, Ed Sheeran sings of being at a low ebb ("hearts balanced on a razor blade") because he's separated from his romantic partner. But when love breaks through the clouds, the singer feels his "troubled heart is a million miles away" and is "dancing out in space." Knowing that she is thinking about him gives him a "celestial" feeling.

Sheeran released "Celestial" as a single on September 29, 2022, in collaboration with The Pokémon Company. It appears in the role-playing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. To celebrate the collaboration, Sheeran got a new tattoo of the adorable water-type Squirtle on his arm.

Sheeran has a long-standing love for Pokémon, having first played the game in primary school. When he got a Game Boy color with Pokémon yellow for his 8th birthday, it became an obsession. "I loved the whole world they created," Sheeran said, "it kept me distracted if there was negative stuff happening in my life/school that I wanted to avoid. It was a world I could escape into and I've played it ever since." Sheeran still has the same Game Boy and continues to play Pokémon silver on long-haul flights. While traveling in Japan, he met the people from Pokémon and they joked about him writing a song for them. The conversation led to this collaboration.