British pop sensation Ed Sheeran went back to his busking roots with a secret performance at a NYC subway station. The English singer-songwriter was disguised in a black hoodie, sunglasses and wig under a grey beanie when he put on a surprise gig. Here, the singer put on a surprise gig, performing an acoustic cover of Chappell Roan’s electrifying hit Pink Pony Cub.
Ed Sheeran disguised as an emo boy singing Chappell Roan in the subway they really did this for me @edsheeran pic.twitter.com/UlpEyRdItm
— sydney (@mxddness) March 26, 2025
The singer was beaming throughout his performance, as shown in a video clip that went viral on X. Fans were shocked by his impromptu performance, taking to social media to express their amazement and post clips of the secret gig.
not ed sheeran and jimmy fallon randomly performing pink pony club while I’m waiting for the subway JDJSJS — cyn ੈ✩‧₊˚ (@luvbubsi) March 26, 2025
Following this surprise performance, fans also began to speculate that the gig was being used as promotion for a potential upcoming album, going as far to say that it was ‘imminent’.
Azizam in the nyc subway !!! new Ed Sheeran album imminent he’s popping up in random places again @edsheeran pic.twitter.com/vCTk7PE6lA
— sydney (@mxddness) March 26, 2025
After his performance of Pink Pony Club, Sheeran removed his disguise to reveal his cheerful face to the audience as well as that of his duet partner Jimmy Fallon. The performance was discovered to have been filmed as a segment for the artist’s appearance on Fallon’s talk show The Tonight Show. The artist has been in the public eye this past week with his open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging the UK government to invest £250m in music education. On The Tonight Show, Sheeran talks about his creative process, showing his passion for creativity which aligns with this current effort. Here, he also reveals the title of his new album, which will be called ‘Play’, and discusses the Persian influences for his upcoming song ‘Azizam’ which debuted in New Orleans. This has since been given a confirmed release date of April 4. On the show, the artist also sings another new unreleased song titled ‘Old Phone’.
Sheeran is very familiar with the art of busking, having done so when he moved to London in 2008 at the age of 18 and since using busking performances to promote new music and appearances in major cities. His first album ‘+’ showcased this acoustic, busking influence with hits such as ‘The A Team’, which he has since re-released as a live track on album ‘+-=÷x (Tour Collection: Live). With this public stunt, the artist pays tribute to these performances and could be hinting at more acoustic bangers to come. This is especially pertinent with the familiar folky, sombre feel of his new track ‘Old Phone’, reminiscent of his early music.
