Ed Sheeran has released a video for his new version of ‘The Joker And The Queen’ featuring Taylor Swift.
Swift takes over the second verse, adding her own lyrics: “I’ve been played before if you hadn’t guessed / So I kept my cards close to my foolproof vest / But you called my bluff and saw through all my tells / And then you went all in and we left together.”
“Me and Taylor first met and wrote + recorded our first song together in 2012, ten years ago now, I’m so so honoured to have her on this song,” Sheeran wrote in a message on Instagram.
“Not only is she the best singer/songwriter in the world but she’s also a very close friend, I’m very lucky to have her in my life. For the music video we got the kids from our song ‘Everything Has Changed’, all grown up and off to college now !”
Watch the music video here:
The track had been the subject of fan speculation in recent weeks, and was finally confirmed by Sheeran at the BRIT Awards on February 8. He told LADbible that his next single “comes out on Friday and it’s with Taylor Swift”, adding that “We’re literally announcing that in like an hour”.
🚨 Ed Sheeran tells @LADBible at the #BRITs that he will be releasing a song with Taylor Swift on Friday.
It’s anticipated to be a remix of “The Joker And The Queen.” pic.twitter.com/XHcjoihJF8
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 8, 2022
The pair last collaborated on ‘Run’, taken from ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’, and have previously performed duets on 2012’s ‘Everything Has Changed‘ and 2017’s ‘End Game‘.
Last year, Sheeran revealed that he once took Swift to his local pub, The Station in Framlingham, Suffolk, for a drink but “no one really clocked who it was”.
Sheeran took home the BRIT Award for Songwriter of the Year at this year’s ceremony, and was presented with the award by Succession actor Brian Cox.
The singer collaborated on-stage with Bring Me The Horizon during the ceremony, with the two acts reworking Sheeran’s ‘Bad Habits’. They’re on track to further the collaboration by writing a song together.
The BRITs also saw Wolf Alice and Sam Fender earning their first gongs, while Little Simz won Best New Artist. Dave closed the show by performing a guitar solo on a guitar/flamethrower during a performance of ‘In The Fire’.