Ed Sheeran On New Album: "Definitely More Hip-Hop Like"

Ed Sheeran has revealed in a new interview with Billboard that he is leaning towards a 'beat-heavy thing, definitely more hip-hop-like' direction for his long-awaited new album.

An excerpt from the article can be found by clicking read more.

The "A Team" singer is currently touring across the country alongside Taylor Swift on her Red tour. Dates and ticket information can be found here.

"The British troubadour and one-man live phenomenon tells Billboard that he's "probably about 40 tracks into the next album, and I'll pick 14 from that. I'm trying to write as many songs as possible; there are times I've been prolific and times I've not been prolific at all, but I just keep pushing. I think you just have to unclog the pipes and write as many songs as possible."

Sheeran adds that he's also making a concerted attempt "to try to kind of write different songs...that are kind of out of my comfort zone and challenge myself a little bit" -- a strategy he predicts will have a marked affect on the follow-up to his platinum debut set "+."

"It's definitely leaning towards more of a beat-heavy thing, definitely more hip-hop-like," Sheeran says. "I think I've evolved a bit more since I made the first record, which I think is a healthy thing."