Ed Sheeran has released his new album Autumn Variations, saying he hopes it feels like "a warm hug" for fans.
The ultra prolific songwriter's last album Subtract was released just four months ago with the record label Atlantic, while his latest release is through his own Gingerbread Man Records.
Marking the release of Autumn Variations on Instagram, the 32-year-old music megastar said: "This is an album purely for you, the fans. There's no singles, no videos, it’s on my own label, so no pressure for anything.
"I just want you guys to have a soundtrack for autumn/fall that feels like a warm hug. I hope you love it."
Announced last month, Sheeran said he got the idea for the album from his father and brother, who told him about English composer Edward Elgar. He composed the orchestral work Enigma Variations, where each of the 14 compositions was about a different one of his friends.
Sheeran said: "Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded.
"When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend's different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time.
"There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion."
Sheeran added of his partnership with producer Aaron Dessner: "When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately.
"We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do."
Autumn Variations tracklisting:
1. Magical
2. England
3. Amazing
4. Plastic Bag
5. Blue
6. American Town
7. That's On Me
8. Page
9. Midnight
10. Spring
11. Punchline
12. When Will I Be Alright
13. The Day I Was Born
14. Head > Heels
