“Perfect Duet” by Ed Sheeran & Beyoncé, Sunday, July 17, 2022

 

After a hugely successful album cycle with X, Ed Sheeran began writing his follow up. On X, many of Sheeran's lyrics focused on the lifestyle a pop star falls into when he comes to fame. Personal songs about life on the road, drugs and alcohol, and relationships and flings with other stars were mostly absent on the singer's story-centric first record +. As far as relationships, X offers us an insight into his long-distance relationship with Nina Nesbitt in "Photograph" and heartbreak with who is rumored to be Ellie Goulding in "Don't." Then there was the ballad "Thinking Out Loud," a song about his girlfriend at the time, Athina Andrelos. The song shows a Sheeran thinking about the days after his youthful fame and the person he would share that post-fame world with.

WE WERE JUST KIDS WHEN WE FELL IN LOVE. But when Ed Sheeran found love, it wasn't with a movie star or a fellow singer-songwriter. The first track that Sheeran wrote for his third record ÷, "Perfect," is a song about falling in love with his future wife, Cherry Seaborn. The two had gone to school together, Seaborn had moved to New York. Sheeran reconnected with Seaborn and in 2015, they started dating. After the whirlwind success of ÷, Sheeran and Seaborn married in 2019. "Perfect" is a sweet wedding song, which, like "Shape of You" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, unlike the album's lead single, "Perfect" is overshadowed by "Shape of You," which is ranked as the #1 song of the decade on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart. "Perfect" has two famous remixes (see below), today's version "Perfect Duet," a duet with Beyoncé and "Perfect Symphony," a duet with Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli. Beyoncé adds a female perspective on Sheeran's song. Even though the lyrics remain the same as the original, listeners can recall the ups and downs of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's relationship and how they have made it work. It doesn't hurt when you're trying to write a love song that will be remembered with the likes of Elton John to have a blessing from the modern goddess herself. 

DARLING, YOU LOOK PERFECT TONIGHT. I didn't like love songs before I was in love. There were a few exceptions like the NoiseTrade Valentine's Day Sampler and the songs of Copeland. Love always seemed out of reach until I realized that I was worthy of love. Before I found love, though, it felt like the people who wrote love songs were just flaunting their relationships. But I realized something today. In 2014, when I finally accepted my sexuality and started dating, I remember an awkward early date. The guy was a bit older and it was pretty clear from the only time we met that we were in completely different places: he was looking for something that would turn into something more serious, I didn't know what I wanted other than to experiment and find a way for my faith and my sexuality to coexist. Over Thai food, I asked him what he was looking for. "Honestly, I just want someone who I can eat chips in bed with." Today, my partner and I were hungry between lunch and dinner so he brought some potato chips and we ate them in bed. No, it's not the same guy. No, I wasn't ready for that in 2014. I realize that writing this flaunts my relationship, and to me and others like me in the past, present, and future, I'm sorry. But love should be celebrated. 

Official Music Video:

“Perfect Duet”

Perfect Symphony:

Read the lyrics on Genius.