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\n\tEd Sheeran<\/a> gave fans in New Orleans an unexpected treat on March 15, debuting his unreleased song \u201cAzizam\u201d during a surprise street performance in the city\u2019s historic French Quarter. <\/p>\n \n\tThe Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, accompanied by The Soul Rebels brass band, drew an excited crowd as he performed the track live for the first time.<\/p>\n \n\tSheeran stepped out of a black SUV just after 11 a.m. local time, carrying a portable amp and microphone. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna do one song here \u2013 we\u2019re filming a bit of content \u2013 and then we\u2019re going to do a parade and walk down and play some songs, if you want to come with us,\u201d he told the audience, per Nola.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tThe performance marked the live debut of \u201cAzizam\u201d, which Sheeran revealed would be released in the coming weeks. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one\u2019s heard. This will be the first time it\u2019s ever been played live. We\u2019ll play it once now and then we\u2019ll walk down, play some songs that you know, and I\u2019ll play this song again,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \n\tSheeran later shared a video of the performance on Instagram, showing himself rolling his amp through the streets as the crowd grew around him. \u201cPlaying some new music today on the streets of New Orleans with @thesoulrebels thanks to everyone who turned up!\u201d he captioned the post.<\/p>\n \n\tThe New Orleans pop-up was just the latest in a series of unannounced performances from Sheeran. Earlier in the week, he surprised fans in Nashville by performing an impromptu set at Tootsie\u2019s bar, delivering a mix of his biggest hits along with a cover of Britney Spears\u2019 \u201c\u2026Baby One More Time.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tHis love for impromptu performances has been a recurring theme. Back in February, he attempted a street concert in Bengaluru, India, drawing a large crowd before local authorities intervened. Despite the show being pre-approved, officials shut it down due to security concerns, though Sheeran later clarified that the performance had been planned in advance and assuring fans it was all in good spirits.<\/p>\n \n\tWith speculation surrounding his upcoming album, Play<\/em>, Sheeran has been teasing new music in creative ways. \u201cAzizam\u201d is expected to be one of the project\u2019s lead singles, and if his recent pop-ups are any indication, fans can likely expect more surprise performances in the lead-up to its release. His previous album, Autumn Variations<\/em>, debuted in 2023, earning a spot on the Billboard 200.<\/p>\n \n\tSheeran has long been a dominant force on the Billboard charts over the years, earning multiple No. 1 singles, including \u201cShape of You\u201d, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, \u201cThinking Out Loud\u201d, \u201cPerfect\u201d, \u201cBad Habits\u201d, and \u201cShivers.\u201d He\u2019s also won multiple Billboard Music Awards, including Top Artist in 2018, Top Touring Artist in 2019, and Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist in 2022. With over 150 million records sold worldwide and 119 million RIAA-certified units in the U.S., Sheeran remains one of the world\u2019s best-selling artists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n