Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry Seaborn’s feedback helps him create hits like Bad Habits and Shivers: ‘A very good taste’

British artist Ed Sheeran doesn’t depend on music executives or industry insiders to determine if a song will succeed — he simply consults his wife, Cherry Seaborn. During an episode of Not Gonna Lie, the podcast hosted by Kylie Kelce, the singer-songwriter discussed his artistic process and the subtle yet significant influence Cherry has within it. Ed mentioned that his wife has a keen ear and frequently assists him in choosing which songs to release — but only when the timing is appropriate.

“She has very good taste,” he said, adding that the 34-year-old is cautious when he plays her his latest material. If she’s not in a good mood, her reaction could be brutal. “Cherry can kill a song. If she’s not vibing with it, I just think of it as dead,” he admitted.

According to Ed, he writes a lot of songs in short bursts. But it’s Cherry who effortlessly cuts through the noise and spots the gems. One such instance was the day he came home after a productive session and played her a batch of demos. “When Bad Habits was written, I’d written a bunch of other songs that day,” he recalled. “And I remember I came home, I had listened to them all in the car and I was kind of excited about most of them and I played them to her and she was like, ‘That one, that Bad Habits one. That’s the one you should finish tomorrow’,” he added.

She also helped push Shivers into the spotlight — a track that eventually climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The British artist also tests his songs on a younger audience: his two daughters. He shared that both kids have taken a shine to Sapphire, a new track off his upcoming album Play. Kylie chimed in that her toddler has also declared Sapphire her “favorite song,” prompting Ed to grin and say, “I’m glad that kids are still into the music that I’m making.”

Ed is presently on his Mathematics Tour, which promotes his earlier albums Equals and Subtract, with his forthcoming project Play scheduled for release on September 12.