Ed Sheeran Surprises New Orleans with Unreleased Song ‘Azizam’

Ed Sheeran gave fans in New Orleans an unexpected treat on March 15, debuting his unreleased song “Azizam” during a surprise street performance in the city’s historic French Quarter.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, accompanied by The Soul Rebels brass band, drew an excited crowd as he performed the track live for the first time.

Sheeran stepped out of a black SUV just after 11 a.m. local time, carrying a portable amp and microphone. “We’re gonna do one song here – we’re filming a bit of content – and then we’re going to do a parade and walk down and play some songs, if you want to come with us,” he told the audience, per Nola.com.

The performance marked the live debut of “Azizam”, which Sheeran revealed would be released in the coming weeks.

“I’ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one’s heard. This will be the first time it’s ever been played live. We’ll play it once now and then we’ll walk down, play some songs that you know, and I’ll play this song again,” he continued.

Sheeran later shared a video of the performance on Instagram, showing himself rolling his amp through the streets as the crowd grew around him. “Playing some new music today on the streets of New Orleans with @thesoulrebels thanks to everyone who turned up!” he captioned the post.

The New Orleans pop-up was just the latest in a series of unannounced performances from Sheeran. Earlier in the week, he surprised fans in Nashville by performing an impromptu set at Tootsie’s bar, delivering a mix of his biggest hits along with a cover of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.”

His love for impromptu performances has been a recurring theme. Back in February, he attempted a street concert in Bengaluru, India, drawing a large crowd before local authorities intervened. Despite the show being pre-approved, officials shut it down due to security concerns, though Sheeran later clarified that the performance had been planned in advance and assuring fans it was all in good spirits.

With speculation surrounding his upcoming album, Play, Sheeran has been teasing new music in creative ways. “Azizam” is expected to be one of the project’s lead singles, and if his recent pop-ups are any indication, fans can likely expect more surprise performances in the lead-up to its release. His previous album, Autumn Variations, debuted in 2023, earning a spot on the Billboard 200.

Sheeran has long been a dominant force on the Billboard charts over the years, earning multiple No. 1 singles, including “Shape of You”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Perfect”, “Bad Habits”, and “Shivers.” He’s also won multiple Billboard Music Awards, including Top Artist in 2018, Top Touring Artist in 2019, and Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist in 2022. With over 150 million records sold worldwide and 119 million RIAA-certified units in the U.S., Sheeran remains one of the world’s best-selling artists.