Ed Sheeran Teams With Manga Artist for Anime-Inspired Music Video

Ed Sheeran recently teamed up with Japanese illustrator and manga artist Rui Ikeda to release an anime adaptation of the music video for his latest single, "Bad Habits."

Posted on the official Warner Music Japan YouTube channel, the animated music video for "Bad Habits" was directed by Naomi Izumida and features animation production by CALF. The video itself is set in Tokyo and depicts a tragic romance between a human woman and a vampire man.

Released on June 25, "Bad Habits" marks the second new song from Sheeran since 2019's No. 6 Collaborations Project. The original, live-action music video for "Bad Habits" was released on the same day and saw Sheeran donning vampire fangs, spooky eye makeup and a pink suit while exploring the streets of a bustling city after dark. The singer also released the song "Afterglow" in 2020.

Sheeran isn't the first artist to incorporate animated characters into their music videos this year. In fact, Katy Perry helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon this summer by recruiting Pikachu for her "Electric" music video. Following the video's release, Perry shared, "When I visited the Pokémon Café while touring Japan, I got so nostalgic. It took me back to my junior high years. So when I got the call to be a part of the 25th-anniversary celebration alongside Post Malone and J Balvin, I was elated."

Ariana Grande also recently teamed up with Epic Games to bring a series of live animated concerts to Fortnite. The Rift Tour featuring Ariana Grande concerts were held Aug. 6-8 and consisted of five shows. Other artists who've brought their music to Fortnite in the past include Travis Scott, Marshmello and Dominic Fike.

"Bad Habits" is the first single off Sheeran's upcoming fifth album.

Source: YouTube via Crunchyroll

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