Like Ted Lasso, Ed Sheeran is expert at shooting a laser-guided missile straight through your heart. On Wednesday (May 31) the the singer and the Apple TV+ series finally joined forces for a perfectly dramatic, tearjerker collab celebrating the finale of the pandemic breakout hit’s third season.
The episode features a sweeping ballad written by football-mad singer Sheeran entitled, “A Beautiful Game,” in which he waxes nostalgic about beginnings, endings and the triumph of love.
“Though we’ve not reached the end/ We should take some time apart/ Leave here with no regrets/ Knowing we gave our all,” Sheeran sings in the first verse of the tune that appears to point to a definitive end to the Jason Sudekis-led show about a scrappy soccer club that climbs from the depths to the heights thanks to Coach Lasso’s folksy wisdom, unorthodox style and a healthy dose of believe-in-yourself magic.
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And while neither Apple nor Sudekis have given a definitive answer about Ted, or the show’s, future, Sheeran’s chorus has the feeling of a bittersweet farewell. “Out of the embers we’ll rise from the ashes/ Write in the stars with our names/ That we are here/ We are bruised, we are damaged/ But the joy was worth the pain/ Wooh, love’s a beautiful game.”Sheeran teased the new song on Tuesday night (May 30) in an Instagram video in which he revealed that he’d been asked to write it more than a year ago.
“I recorded bits of it whilst on tour using crowds from the stadiums that I’ve been playing, and I’m super, super, super proud of it,” Sheeran said. “I love the show. I’ve loved working on this song. I hope you enjoy it — just a bit of fun. Football!”
Listen to “A Beautiful Game” and watch Sheeran’s video below.