Grammy Award winner Ed Sheeran was the latest celebrity to feature on the popular “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” subway busking segment on April 8. Together, Sheeran and Fallon took to the New York City subway armed with unrecognizable disguises to perform a number of surprise hits for passersby.
Sheeran and Fallon Perform ‘Azizam’ Live on NYC Subway
Sheeran, who released his latest single “Azizam” on April 4, is the latest musician to participate in the fan-favorite segment, joining the likes of Miley Cyrus, Green Day, Bad Bunny, U2, Maroon 5, and more artists who have taken the subway by storm with surprise performances.
Alongside Fallon, Sheeran donned an unrecognizable disguise inspired by early-2000s ‘emo’ aesthetics, complete with straight black wigs, oversized hoodies, and lip-piercings before taking to the NYC subways under the guise of a busking band called “Frat Poison.”
During the segment the duo performed a cover of Chappell Roan’s chart-topper “Pink Pony Club” before removing their disguises to perform a live duet of Sheeran’s latest single “Azizam.”
The live performance marks the latest in a trend set by Sheeran for the release of “Azizam,” which all kicked off with a surprise debut performance of the track in New Orleans’ French Quarter with The Soul Rebels brass band on March 15, 2025. In the lead-up to the song’s release, Sheeran similarly arranged surprise performances of the track in cities across the U.S., including Boston, Nashville, and New York City.
Todd Crum/NBC via GettySheeran Talks His New Album ‘Play’ and What’s Coming Next
During a prior appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Sheeran told Fallon that the track was partly inspired by the song’s Persian producer, Illya Salmanzadeh. “We were creating a lot of music and he suggested we create something within the Persian culture,” said Sheeran before adding that he’d already recorded a version of the song in the Persian language, Farsi.
“Azizam,” which Sheeran revealed translated to “my dear” in Farsi, is the debut single from Sheeran’s upcoming album “Play.” The 34-year-old singer told Fallon that the record marks a new era for his music, with his first five studio albums – “+” (2011), “x” (2014), “÷” (2017), “=” (2021), and “-” (2023) – making up his now-concluded “Mathematics” album series.
“Play” will kick off yet another 5-record album series for Sheeran, with the following records set to be titled “Pause,” “Rewind,” “Fast-Forward,” and “Stop.” Sheeran similarly revealed to Fallon that he’d come up with the 10-album plan when he was just 18-years-old.
“I wanted to do 10. I’m kind of a bit obsessed with [Quentin] Tarantino, and I heard he was doing 10 films, and he’s got his side projects like Grindhouse,” said Sheeran. “I wanna do my 10 and then every now and then do a side project.”